The campaign organisation of Afenifere Chieftain and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM) has raised questions over the State Government alleged refusal to disburse the over N350 million meant for Fadama III to the farmers in the State.
PAAM said the silence of the of State Government, in spite of the farmers agitation was suspicious, adding that; “from all indications, the State government is out to frustrate the Fadama III farmers.
Director General of PAAM, Hon Bisi Kolawole said in a release issued in Ado-Ekiti today that; “It is to the credit of the Fadama I farmers in Ekiti State that we now have vegetable like water melon, cucumber and pumpkin in abundance in the State and this initiative must not be frustrated by the State government.”
Kolawole alleged that the State government was planning to divert the Fadama III fund contributed by the Federal Government and the World Bank to the State government’s Youth Commercial Agriculture Development Programme (YCAD).
“Fadama III is for livestock farming and the fund is meant to be disbursed to livestock farmers in the State.
“As at today, there are over 350 applications for loan pending at the State Ministry of Agriculture. The application are from the Fadama Users Group (FUG), with each group having ten farmers.
“The implication of this is that 3,500 Fadama III farmers are being held to ransom by the Ekiti State government, and yet, the government keep advertising fake achievements in Agriculture.
“Instead of contributing its own counterpart fund of N100 million to the N350 million from the federal government contribution, the State Government is planning to divert the Fadama III fund to buying tractors, build a silo and refurbish the state Abattoir located along Ado-Iworoko, among other YCAD.
“This amounts to misappropriation of fund and a wicked attempt to deny the Fadama farmers the financial assistance made available by the federal government.
“We therefore call on the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to come to the aid of Fadama farmers in Ekiti State by directing the immediate disbursement of the fund,” Kolawole said.
