Why We Involved DSS, EFCC In Recovering Anchor Borrowers Loans – Maize Association

The Maize Association of Nigeria (MAAN) said it is working with the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Nigerian Police to recover Anchor Borrowers Programme loans from its members.

The association revealed this during a press conference on Thursday in Abuja, which the MAAN National President, Bello Abubakar, addressed.

The briefing followed a three-day meeting of the association’s state chairmen, zonal coordinators, and national officers.

The association comprises all stakeholders in the maize value chain, such as researchers, input suppliers, farmers, and the end users.

“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 said.

Mr Abubakar said, “MAAN understands that the ABP/CBN program is a revolving loan due for full recovery, depending on the participants (farmers) for compliance. However, and unfortunately, there was a monumental disappointment,” adding that most of the participants/farmers thought the loan was a national cake.

He said that due to the participants’/farmers’ recalcitrant attitude towards loan repayment, “MAAN was constrained to write several demand letters to the defaulters as well as seek synergy with law enforcement and anti-graft agencies like EFCC, DSS, and the Nigeria Police for assistance in line with Federal Government policies of loan recovery.

“It is most unfortunate that some of the participants/defaulters, in trying to evade responsibility to both MAAN and the agencies supporting our loan recovery, took us to various courts to enforce their purported human rights, which they claimed were violated.”

The MAAN president said the association took some defaulters to court to recover the loan, and most cases are still pending.

He said insecurity is grossly affecting the association members, saying “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.

He said flooding has also affected the farmers in Kogi, Benue, Cross River, Jigawa, Katsina, Taraba, Niger, Kebbi, and Kwara states, with drought threatening their members in Oyo, Kwara, Niger, Ondo, Ekiti, and Benue states.

The association urged the Federal Government to “create an enabling environment that will allow smallholder farmers to settle their outstanding loans, produce for domestic needs and exports.

It also appealed that commodity associations should be included in agricultural policies while urging the government to show compassion to farmers, considering the unmitigated and debilitating factors making productive farming and harvest impossible.

MAAN also appealed to either waive or review downward the association’s outstanding financial obligations in the CBN/ABP programme.

They also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for its efforts to ensure food security in Nigeria.