There are
indications that the payment of the 2016 dry season Growth Enhancement Support
(GES) of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) may
be queried due to a high bill of about N9.6 billion naira despite allegations
of haphazard delivery.
Findings
revealed that the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh is not too
comfortable with the figure presented by the ministry officials for payment, as
there are many complaints on shortages in terms of inputs in many of the GES
delivery centers.
A source
told Food Farm News that the minister
was really bothered about the high bill being presented as there were alleged
compromise of inputs delivery inflation figure in the 2016 GES dry season
distribution of fertilizers, improved seeds and agro chemicals to very few
registered farmers.
The source
said there were complaints from members of farmers’ association who wants to
know how many of their members actually got the inputs support, and that they
were already demanding that the case be investigated to prove the justification
of the stated amount.
Food Farm News gathered that the input providers
are already pressing for their money going by the promises of the Ministry that
payment would be immediately made, as they have even resort to lobbying some on
the national assembly members so as to prevail on the minister for immediate
payment since the contract has been appropriated for 2016 budget.
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