AUTHORITY of the Kwara State House of Assembly has deferred further deliberations on the request of the State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, seeking for the approval of the legislature to access N1billion Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), agricultural loan to farmers till Tuesday next week.
It also directed the State government to furnish the House with relevant information that will guide the legislature in the consideration of the request.
It would be recalled that the Governor had forwarded a letter to the Speaker, Dr. Ali Ahmad, seeking the approval of the House, to access the loan for farmers in the State.
Reading the resolutions of the House, the Deputy Speaker, Elder Mathew Okedare, who presided over the sitting, said the Legislature identified with the State government in its bid to use agriculture to diversifying its revenue source, create jobs for the teeming youth and ensure food security, in the State, but insisted that the House was interested in ensuring that only genuine Farmers access the loan to achieve the intended purpose.
While moving a motion on the Governor’s request, the leader of the House, Hon. Hassan Oyeleke Said members were interested in knowing modalities to be adopted in selecting farmers for the loan, how to recover the loan, names of the defaulters of the previous loans, and measures being put in place by the State government to forestall errors in the previous loan schemes to Farmers in the State.
Hon . Oyeleke explained that the Legislature was on the same page with State government, as the State according to him was agrarian and insisted that loopholes in the previous loan schemes must be blocked, to ensure that the State achieves its desired aim of using agriculture to achieve food security, job opportunity for the teeming youth and make the State regains its pride of place as a robust foreign exchange earner.
He expressed confidence,that the agriculture loan would have greater impact in the production of food in the State, stressing that the single digit interest rate of the loan would equally go a long way in assisting genuine farmers, to boast food production in the State.
In her remarks, a member representing Ekiti Constituency, Hon Ebun Owolabi, praised the State government for the initiative and expressed confidence that the step would go along way to encourage youth to go into farming
