By Ebi Daniel in Minna.
Niger State has emerged the best performing State under the Central bank Rice Anchor borrower scheme in the country with the highest recovery rate, even as defaulters of the programme have been arrested.
It was gathered that, in view of the seriousness coordinator of the State Rice farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) attaches to the programme, some alleged defaulters of the loan scheme are currently bewn held at A Division of Nigeria police force Bida.
A source disclosed that, despite the impressive performance of the programme in Niger State, some previous operators had included some fictious middle men who fronted farmers to procure the items distributed under programme at giveaway prices.
Accoeding to the source, that, ” When Idris Usman Makaranta took over, he embarked on a revalidation exercise of farmers and discovered that only few genuine farmers collected the materials
“We therefore decided to submit new names after a three month revalidation exercise with their BVN to the Central bank and we were able to cultivate about 13, 000 hectares of Rice despite the flood and drought in some parts of the State produced 75,000 bags of Rice which was displayed at the Rice pyramid at the Trade fair complex Minna, last year ”
Confirming the development, Alhaji Mohammed Alfa Ma’Ali a senior official of RIFAN in Niger State confirmed the arrest of some defaulters of the programme in the State noting that they have zero tolerance for abuses in the scheme which has the capacity of ensuring self sufficiency of Rice production for the scheme.
Niger state has been adjudged as the best performing State in the Rice Anchor borrower scheme in the country by the Central bank of Nigeria despite some few hitches.
” It is also true that some of our defaulters are currently with the Police at A Division Bida, on their inability to repay back, we discovered that some of them collected materials worh N176,000 but sold them to middle men at N65,000″
He disclosed that Lavun local government of Niger State has the highest anchor borrowers performing loan in the state and attributed the feat to strict monitoring and evaluation of beneficiaries.
