Governor Umo Eno
By Charles Akpan
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has threatened to redeploy the N2 billion Interest-free-loans to farmers if the money is not accessed by intended beneficiaries within the next 90 days.
It could be recalled that the Governor while announcing the financial intervention at the lunch of the free food voucher programme for the vulnerable and the neediest at the popular Itam Market in Itu Local Government Area (LGA) in March to Akwa Ibom traders, directed the funds be managed by the Ibom Fadama Micro Finance Bank.
The announcement followed complaints received by the Governor that some traders were securing loans for their businesses with high interest rates, a development that prompted him to release N500 million Interest-free-loans to each of the three senatorial districts to help traders and their businesses.
Addressing a stakeholders meeting at Government House, Uyo recently, the Governor regretted that till date, none of the traders has accessed the funds and threatened to redirect the money to other projects if the traders failed to access the funds in 90 days.
“That money has been there at the Accountant General’s office and 90 days from today we will send it to any other place”, he stated.
Governor Eno charged his Senior Special Assistant on Trade and Market Matters Mr. Idorenyin Raphael to immediately liaise with the Secretary to the State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah to get the money out of the system.
“We have announced a two billion Naira Interest-free-loans to our traders and up till now, nobody has accessed that money because of their in-house ‘wahala’ and of course, let me also say it here that in the next 90 days if you do not use the money, we will use it for something else. Money appreciates, I cannot set aside money forever”, he declared.
“We have also given money even to our non-indigenes, the Arewa community, Yoruba, Igbo, Niger Delta community but we are waiting for the modality to disburse. Never again under my watch will I give money to a group and say to them go and spend. We will follow the money, we want to know when you disburse it, and to whom you disburse it to so that the money can get to the right people and that is why these monies have not been collected but they are there”, he submitted.
