As controversy trails cassava intervention funds

Agriculture Transformation Agenda (ATA) has received a lot of accolades because of the many achievements it has recorded in the agricultural sector within a short time under several value chains. One of the value chain that received more attention is cassava, especially with the introduction of the 20% cassava bread but this is not without challenges. JOHN OBA writes.

Of the several challenges facing the cassava value chain, one of such challenges is the current misunderstanding confronting the Nigeria Master Bakers Association (NMBA) where members of the association are at logger heads over who benefits from the government’s cassava wheat intervention fund. This has resulted in various press conferences organized by members to express their different views on the issues.
Recently, the Lagos state chapter of the Nigerian Master Bakers Association in a report in one of the national daily,  faulted the federal government’s approach to the disbursement of the N2.2 billion cassava bread fund.
The Lagos state chapter chairman of the bakers, Prince Jacob Adejorin in the report said though the fund which the federal government is disbursing through the Ministry of Agriculture and Bank of Industry (BOI) to the bakers is a welcome development and highly appreciated, but that it needs an urgent review.
His concern was that no master baker in the state has enjoyed the facility since 2013, which led to agitation by members of the association on the need for review. Lamenting that with over 50,000 master bakers in over 5000 bakeries in the state, only 34 have been trained and four selected to benefit from the employment.
This, he said, is grossly inadequate because the state bakers constitute more than 50% of master bakers in Nigeria, describing the N14 million given to each beneficiary as being on the high side and not reflecting the reality of the current economic situation in the country.
He noted that bakers may find it difficult to pay because the baking industry is seriously challenged at this time. He suggested that N5 million should be enough for each existing bakery to adapt to the production of cassava bread, adding that the N5 million per baker will allow the fund set aside by government to reach more master bakers and therefore, create more impact on the cassava bread production.
Adejorin also complained about the fund going through intermediaries to access the fund is counter-productive suggesting that each state be allowed to deal with Bank of industry in order to address the peculiar problem of each state.
“The initiative as it affects master bakers should be  addressed with dispatch to achieve the set goals, objectives, avoid rancour and rumour mongering among our members which is not healthy for our growth and development. We appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan, through the minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina to look into this issues as a matter of urgency and find a more justifiable way of assisting the master bakers to achieve the inclusion of cassava four in bread production. We in Lagos pledge our support to the federal government on this laudable project and do hope that this issue will be resolved for us to access the cassava bread fund and commence production immediately,” he said.
Reacting to this in a press conference held at the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Developments’ conference hall, the National President, Nigeria Master Bakers Association, Mr Simon  Abanulor, said the allegation was politically motivated as Prince Adejorin is one of the first beneficiaries of the intervention, wondering why Lagos chapter would address the press when no state has fared better either.
Abanulor confirmed that members of the association, nationwide got a total of N886 million so far, out of the N2.2 billion cassava bread intervention fund provided by the federal government.
He explained that the amount disbursed through the Bank of Industry to 96 of his members nationwide, was meant for equipment support.
Debunking the allegation that faulted the government’s approach to the fund’s disbursement, he said only 76 master bakers are left to be mobilized and attributed the delay to slow documentation by the BoI.
He faulted the claim, saying Lagos like every other state have received four equipment each in accordance with their requests, adding that members from all the geo-political zones of the country have benefitted from the amount disbursed so far. Accusing Prince Adejorin of inducing members to protest.
He blame the delay in BOI, he said the bank has promised the disbursement of the remaining fund by this week.
“I am surprised to see some bakers from Lagos State carrying placards, telling all sorts of stories, I believe this is mischief and I believe this is not the time to politicise food security because the minister is doing everything possible to make sure this country is food sufficient and as long as the association is concerned, we will not sit down and watch some of our members mislead the country or give false information.”
Abannlor asserted that “the complaint by the Lagos chapter of the association to cut down the loans of beneficiaries from N14 million to N5 million was not reasonable as the amount was too small to meet the demands of 20 per cent Cassava inclusion without the necessary equipment which cost of N14 million at the least.”
He said: “The cassava bread project is in progress in the sense that over 2000 bakers had been trained out of the proposed 5000, while 171 bakers across the nation are beneficiaries and today 76master bakers have received their equipment while the balance of equipment have not been received because of the delay of BOI who have promised to mobilise suppliers on or before early next week.”
He affirmed that the equipment received include 2000 capacity Rotary oven, spiral mixer of two bags, 80 KV generators “and now we are still waiting for the deep freezers and working capital. 171 beneficiaries in 96 bakeries are spread across the 6 Geopolitical zones and all the six have gotten something including Lagos state have benefited at least 4 of the equipment.”
Speaking with newsmen after the conference, Technical Adviser on Cassava Value Chain to the minister, Mrs. Oluwatotin  Adetunji, said as part of efforts to solve the bottleneck and ensure early disbursement of the second batch of the fund, that a meeting of the stakeholders took place last week where a committee was set up to fast-track the BoI’s action on the project.
Adetunji disclosed that N3.4billion was deposited with the BoI since January 2014, but added that only N1.2billion has been disbursed by the bank.

She explained that the delay by the bank was caused by improper application by some of the master bakers, pointing out that conditions for assessing the fund were flexible enough for them to meet.
She pointed out that the bank ought to have disbursed the money with them by now. “We know that it is two suppliers that are bring the equipment from abroad while the third person produced locally. The two coming from abroad surely will have some conditions to be met abroad before they can get the equipment down here but we also believe that there should be some level of fast tracking on the part of BOI to be able to actualize it because this intervention is supposed to be an on-going programme to give continuous flow of support to master bakers across the country, bearing in mind that we have this fund coming from wheat level, we should have exhausted ended this and go for another level funding from the president but this is where we find ourselves.”