By Raymond Gukas, Jos
Defaulting rice farmers in Plateau state have been warned to pay up their agricultural loans or face the law, as those who fell left out in the loan disbursement are blaming the association.
The state Chairman of Rice farmers Association (RIFAN), Joshua Bitrus gave the warning expressed concerns over the development, saying the State may be blacklisted by the central bank in future.
Describing the situation as highly regrettable and embarrassing, he said that such stands taken by the rice farmers in the state is not encouraging because the loans was extended to assist them in production.
According to him, the association is currently making efforts to contact all the 17 divisional police officers (DPO) to issue warrants of arrest against defaulters who have ignored calls on them to do the needful.
He however, commended four local government areas from the state’s Northern Senatorial Zone for meeting up with the loan obligations .
Meanwhile, some Farmers accused the state officials of corrupt attitude in selection of the beneficiaries based on party and religious affiliation, as most of them are poor and vulnerable who saw the exercise as a free will from their party faithful.
It was learnt that those who were given the above mentioned rice, chemical, and the fertilizer are in dilemma as the period the state chapter disbursed the loan to them, they are finding it difficult to pay back because of poor harvest.
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