By Paul Effiong, Abuja
House of Representatives Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, yesterday threatened to issue warrant of arrest on Heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, MDAs, over their refusal to appear for the on-going probe into the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, disbursement of about N1.12 trillion through the Anchor Borrowers Programme, ABP, and other policies of the Federal Government.
The committee, chaired by Honourable Chike Okafor, expressed dismay over the absence of key agencies heads in the agriculture sector invited to appear before the committee at the National Assembly, Abuja.
Okafor, said there would no mercy for those disobeying the committee.
The committee listed some of the agencies that were invited but did not show up after receiving invitations to include: Bank of Industry, BOI, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, NAQS, National Agricultural Land Development Authority, NALDA, National Agricultural Seed Council and NISARL Micro-Finance Bank.
The chairman stated that outside the Managing Director of BOI who wrote to the Committee for excuse from the investigation as he travelled outside the country.
He added that agencies that did not honour the House Committee’s invitation will be made to appear unfailingly before the probe panel or face penalty.
The committee reiterated it’s earlier position that the investigation was not a witch-hunt rather it is to uncover the truth, identify systemic failures and ensure that funds budgeted for food security is judiciously used.
Hon. Okafor, also said the investigation was to to find out If truly huge funds budgeted for food production were utilised in a judicious manner in order to ensure food security in the country.
According to the lawmakers, “As contained in the motion, the House is interested in knowing the following: how Central Bank of Nigeria, through the Anchor Borrowers Programme, disbursed about N1.12 trillion to 4.67 million farmers involved in either maize, rice or wheat farming through 563 anchors as well as how Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending, NIRSAL, disbursed N215,066,980,274.50 so far to facilitate agriculture and agro-businesses among others.
“One of the key oversight mandates of the Committee is to ensure proper implementation of intervention programmes by relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government related to food security and nutrition”.
During the hearing, the CBN governor, Dr. Olayemi Cardoso, represented by Mr Kwasari John Harman, an acting director, said they disbursed N1.21 trillion and N871billion among others.
The apex bank said all the money deposit banks in the country received funds from the federal government through the immediate past CBN administration.
