Fertilizer suppliers fault Presidency on N65 bn debt

A group of suppliers of fertilizers to Nigerian farmers under the President Goodluck Jonathan administration has faulted the claim by the Presidency that N65 billion owed the suppliers have been paid by the current administration.

Growth Enhancement Scheme Agrodealers Association of Nigeria (GESAAN) said only N25 billion of the amount was paid, contrary to the claim by, Shehu Garba, a spokesperson to President Muhammadu Buhari, that the total debts have been settled.

The Southwest chairman of the association, Ayodeji Babawibe, said he was surprised reading in the newspapers a statement credited to Mr. Shehu that the N65 billion owed the Agrodealers across Nigeria by the federal government has been paid.

Babawibe said since reading the statement by the spokesman of government, banks have been disturbing members of his association to repay the loans they took to finance the scheme for the supply of the fertilizers.

“We are surprised reading it on the pages of newspapers that federal government has offset the debt of N65 billion owed us. What was actually paid to Agrodealers was N25 billion out of the N65 billion federal government owed us, not N65 billion as claimed by Shehu Garba.”

Babawibe advised Mr. Shehu to “relate well with Agriculture Minister, Chief Audu Ogbeh, before issuing statement on issue he didn’t know much about because (the minister) has once told Nigerians that only N25b was paid to the Agrodealers and that federal government is making moves to settle the remaining debts”.

Advertisements