CORRUPTION IN NIRSAL – Nigerians call for investigation by Fraud agencies

The Nigeria Incentive Based Risk Sharing System for Agric Lending (NIRSAL), an economy diversification initiative championed by the Central Bank of Nigeria under the leadership of Godwin Emefiele and strengthened with huge resources has continued to be in the news for all the wrong reasons with allegations of misappropriation, cronyism, credit guarantees gone bad and the non-existence of Corporate Governance and proper procurement processes among others.

Not long ago, a scandal broke out on a training jamboree to South Africa undertaken by NIRSAL for over a hundred staff anchored by the same set of people who have been conducting local trainings for them in Nigeria and which the staff privately complained of lacking depth.

There was also the issue of the brother to the Managing Director who serves as his technical assistant usurping the finance and procurement functions at NIRSALcompletely shutting out Nigerians from benefitting from the procurement opportunities except for a few friends and family members.

This same brother has also been fingered in illegal cash movements involving low cadre staff (including drivers and assistants) culminating in the arrest of a NIRSAL driver in Gombe earlier in the year.

The report about the son to the Managing Director being the sole supplier of all computer related items is still out there and is yet to be countered as it is still in the public discourse and further exposes the nepotistic rot within the system.

It is no longer news that the Managing Directors’ brothers and in-laws are full staff of NIRSAL and enjoying privileges not entitled to their position but the joke taken too far is one of them who is an Assistant manager being a signatory to NIRSAL accounts.

Only recently, allegations of misappropriation was leveled against the Managing Director of the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agriculture Lending (NIRSAL), Mr. Aliyu Abbati Abdulhammed, over a princely sum of N342 million released to NIRSAL by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under its Anchor Borrowers’ programme (ABP) for a Southwest Maize Farmers’ Cooperative, Hope Concept Investment Cooperatives and Credit Union.

Reports of poorly packaged Credit Guarantees abound and monies fully withdrawn with huge losses including a recent N5.2 bn wheat farm project that achieved less than 20% of the target output

The Project Monitoring and Remediation Office (PMRO) of NIRSAL with supposed presence across the 36 states is also at the centre of a recruitment scandal and existence of ghost workers which has led to losses in millions of Naira.

This PMRO as has been revealed is the conduit through which billions are being siphoned in active connivance with the Chief Consultant, Dr Ogidan who incidentally is spearheading the new NIRSAL Micro Finance Bank.

It has become an issue of utmost national importance for the Police, EFCC, ICPC and even the office of the National Security Adviser to investigate NIRSAL and bring these economic saboteurs to justice.