Assembly grants Ahmed nod to access N1bn CBN loan

The Kwara State house of assembly has approved the request of Governor  Abdulfatah Ahmed to access a loan of N1billion in the agriculture credit facility scheme of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The loan which will be taken through an old generation bank for genuine Farmers gained support as the lawmakers gave the approval during Thursday plenary, having been satisfied with the response on those that are to benefit from the loan facility scheme from the state Government.

The House agreed that when the loan materialised it will boost the economic ability of the state especially in food production as the country also seeks to diversify from mono-oil economy to agriculture based.

The House expressed satisfaction on those who are to benefit from the loan scheme adding that its painful when real farmers are deprived of receiving agricultural loan rather going to political farmers who have no business in farming.

Reading the resolution of the house, the speaker, Ali Ahmad said the house has granted the approval to access and accept the one billion naira CBN agricultural facility scheme facilitated, saying the aim is  to enhance food production in the state.

The House therefore urged the executive to carry all the stakeholders along in the disbursement of the loan while the house shall perform its statutory duty of oversight functions to ensure transparency and accountability.
It would be recalled that the state government on 22nd November sought the approval of the house to access N1 billion loan aimed at boosting agricultural activities across the state. Meanwhile, the State Government has been advised to ensure that only genuine and registered farmers benefit from the N1 billion agricultural loan.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) Kwara State Chapter, Yekeen Kareem Agunbiade, stated this in Ilorin while speaking with journalists in Ilorin.

He noted that, “If the loan is properly utilized for the agric purpose it is meant for, it would go a long way to improve farming in the state and also reduce the high rate of unemployment due to its multiplying benefits.”

Agunbiade who advised the state government to focus more attention on agriculture in the 2017 budget by encouraging the farming system and ensure that the welfare of civil servants particularly clearing the backlog of salary arrears were given top priority, however commended the efforts of the state government under the leadership of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed for ensuring regular payment of the salaries of the core civil servants in the state as well as pensioners even as he pleaded with the government the assist without further delay in the payment of the backlog of salaries owed staff of SUBEB and that of the local government workers.