The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Nigeria Police are getting cooperation in the effort to recover loans given out by the past administration under the Anchor borrowers scheme. The help is coming from the Maize Association of Nigeria (MAAN), which collaborating with the security agencies to aide efforts to recover loans from its members.
The loans were disbursed between 2018 and 2021 to boost maize production. This was disclosed by Bello Abubakar, MAAN’s national president at a recent press conference.
He said, “The purpose of this press briefing is to inform the general public of efforts being made in recovering the anchor borrowers programme loan given to the association from 2018 to 2021 for maize production.”
He continued, “MAAN understands that the ABP/CBN programme is a revolving loan due for full recovery, depending on the participants (farmers) for compliance. However, and unfortunately, there was a monumental disappointment; many beneficiaries saw the funds as a national cake.”
However, there are those who want to repay the loans they took but who have been incapacitated by some development. Abubakar said insecurity, flooding, and drought have affected farmers in this category , who are spread across various states, making it difficult for them to repay loans. “Some of our farms and farmers were burnt, kidnapped, and killed by bandits on the farms in Niger, Zamfara, Katsina, Borno, Yobe, Sokoto, Ondo, and Ekiti states.”
The association chairman urged the federal government to “create an enabling environment that will give smallholder farmers the opportunity to settle their outstanding loans and produce for domestic needs and exports.” He also appealed for compassion toward farmers, given the challenges they face.
