Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has always stated that his administration was committed to agricultural development and empowerment of residents of the state, but members of a socio-political organisation, the Safe Edo Movement (SEM) appeared not impressed with this.

In order to know the truth about the much touted agric loans, meant to jump start agricultural revolution in the state, SEM, through its President, Chris Oshokha Ethuakhor, wrote a strongly-worded petition to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed.

Copies of the petition, which alleged fraud in Edo’s agric loans, particularly diversion of the funds, were also sent to the World Bank, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The socio-political organisation said: “Ever since the year 2018, various interventionist initiatives and policies, backed by funds from Nigeria’s prime economic institution, the CBN, and the global World Bank, have been pumped into Edo State. These policies, initiatives and funds, although channeled towards agriculture, have all gone largely unaccounted for.

“Of major concern to us is that loans obtained under the guise of boosting agricultural productivity do not end up in the hands of Edo State’s farmers, who are in dire need of support. Rather and sadly too, the funds go missing or end up in the pockets of private hijackers.”

“It is the aim of this petition to call the attention of the World Bank, CBN, EFCC and the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning to the series of unresolved cases pointing towards corruption.”

“We hope that a team of competent investigators, made up of civil society organisations, public officers and operatives of EFCC will be asked to investigate the misappropriation of loans given to Edo State government between 2017 and 2020.”

SEM also stated that the method and process of obtaining the loans were shrouded in secrecy, thereby necessitating the call for diligent investigation in order to know the truth and that those found culpable be arrested and prosecuted as this will serve as a deterrent to others.

It said: “In 2017, the CBN gave N2 billion loan to Edo State government, for the production of maize, under the agripreneur programme.”

The last known and traceable activity with this fund is that Edo State government transferred it to SARO Agro Sciences Limited to cultivate and manage the 5,000-hectare maize farm at Sobe, on behalf of Edo State government.

After this known activity, the whole initiative has disappeared into thin air, and to this date, nothing has been heard of it. We implore the CBN to spearhead a thorough investigation that will inform Nigerians of how the fund was spent.

“In 2019, the CBN gave Edo State government a loan of an undisclosed amount, urging that the fund be spent in support of the state’s agripreneur programme, through the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk-Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).”

The fund, the CBN conceived, should aid the cultivation of the 5,000 hectares of rice farm in Agenegbode, Warrake, Iguomon, Illushi and Iguoriakhi, all in Edo State.

“At the start of the farming season, which began in July 2019, each farmer was tentatively given the sum of N1.3 million, which was distributed and held in accounts at Sterling Bank and could only be accessed by NIRSAL.”

“Even though the rice was cultivated and later harvested the same year’s October, the farmers are, to date, yet to receive their money lodged in Sterling Bank’s accounts.”

“The last probing that was answered had the Edo State Ministry of Agriculture stating that the rice paddings were moved from Agenegbode to Abakiliki in Ebonyi State for processing, because Edo State does not have a rice-processing mill despite all the agricultural investments in the state.”

SEM also stated that in 2019, the CBN approved the sum of N65 billion for the Edo State Oil Palm Programme (ESOPP), which it said would definitely be used to support Ellah Lakes Plc, managed by Mr. Chuka Mordi, who according to the group, fronted for Obaseki, while stressing that Edo governor had already ceded the state-owned lands in Igwelaba to the company.

The socio-political body, however, lamented that till date, no tangible progress has been made on the project, neither was there a public update to the effect.

It said: “In what appears to be a reinforcement of existing progress, in the year 2020, an additional N5 billion loan was approved by the CBN for the agripreneur programme.

This would not have drawn the ire of the public, except that there is no ongoing activity or progress on the said agripreneur programme.

This draws curiosity on the seeming bottomlessness of the programme that fails provable evidence and refuses completion.

“Having studied the transactions, we are convinced that the records and history of the handling of these funds are not impressive. Put mildly, the continued loan approvals, even in the face of obvious misappropriation, amounts to insult of the intelligence of Edo people.”

Edo people are asking why the CBN continues to give loans to Edo State government, when it is clear that these loans end up in private pockets, except that some vested interests benefit from the mismanagement of these loans, despicably, to the detriment of Edo citizens.

“All of us at the SEM, therefore, by our devotion to the advocacy of the good of the common Edo people, feel obligated to bring the grumblings and dissatisfaction of the people to the notice of the Central Bank Governor, World Bank, EFCC and the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning.”

“It will serve the utmost purpose of social justice and restoring public confidence in the concerned institutions if, as we requested, you investigate all loans given by the CBN to Edo State government from 2017 to date and objectively inform the public of the findings.”

SEM, in line with best practices, also strongly recommended that while the investigation would last, further disbursement of loans to the state should be halted, adding that it will ensure that there are no further complications and/or further avenue for unmitigated fraud, which the government had been indicted and suspected of.