BY Usman Shuaibu
Some farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have accused the Director-General of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda, of extorting money from the farmers without giving them loans.
Speaking on behalf of the farmers, Mr. Sanusi Muhammed Hamisu, said so many farmers went to entrepreneurship training on the 21st of November, 2020 for the purpose of getting loan from SMEDAN.
Hamisu said he paid the sum of N10,000 to Raphi Great Company to undergo the training, disclosing that both the farmers and businessmen had registered their companies with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as well as presented their mini business plans to SMEDAN for the loans.
He said that they had given the necessary documents to SMEDAN that would qualify them for the loan, but up till now no positive result from the agency.
Hamisu said: ‘My company which is named Zaitun Baban Itace Nig. Ltd. has registered with SMEDAN with SMEDAN number: SUIN 26554798 dated 13/11/2020.
He, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government as well as the Director-General of SMEDAN to give the loan to the farmers in time so as to carryout this year’s farm operations successfully.
Another farmer in the FCT, Mr. Bukar Muhammed, said he participated in a five day training with GOGETIT Investments Limited on small business management and no tangible information from SMEDAN regarding to loan.
He revealed that he paid a total sum of N26,000 for the whole process.
