By Jimitota Onoyume

PORT HARCOURT— Revelations emerged, yesterday at the Justice George Omereji-led Commission of Inquiry sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State of how Caretaker Committee Chairmen under former Governor Rotimi Amaechi allegedly shared about N3 billion of the N4 billion loan secured from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Commercial Credit Agricultural Scheme.

Nyesom Wike

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture Mrs Otonyetarie Otonye, who gave evidence before the commission, said N4bn loan was secured by the former government from the CBN for the development of agriculture and agro allied sector of the economy.

According to her, the former Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Emma Chinda set up a committee headed by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry, Mr Grant Amadi that disbursed the money.

She said the committee was directly answerable to the former commissioner and took directives from him, adding that it finally disbursed a total of N2,932,411,679.30

Continuing, she said that the former governor gave approval that the money be disbursed as “grants” to farmers.

The Permanent Secretary, Mrs Otonye, said she does not know the farmers that benefitted from the grant since a committee set up by the commissioner dealt directly with them.

During cross examination by counsel to the Commission, Mr Zacchaus Adangor, Mrs Otonye said she did not confirm if truly the ‘farmers ‘who benefited from the funds had existing farms.

According to her, she was only aware that a total of 380 mother cooperative bodies got the money.

However, it was discovered that the cooperative societies that benefited from the money were all registered last year with Chairmen of 21 caretaker Committees as presidents.?

The chairman of Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government, Mr Augustine Ahiamadu also benefited from the grant as president of one of the cooperative societies.

Director Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry, Mr Chijioke Amadi who was chairman of the Agric Credit Committee set up by the former Commissioner for the Ministry, Mr Chinda, expressed surprise at the names of those behind the cooperative societies.

During cross examination by counsel to the commission, Mr Adangor, he said the names of the benefiting cooperative societies were sent to his committee by the former commissioner, adding that the list did not show the names of their principal officers.