Plateau farmers have demanded an immediate refund of their funding for the Plateau Agricultural Development Programme following a significant breach of contract. 

During a protest at the PADP headquarters in Jos, the 124 subscribers have expressed frustration over a 17-month delay and the agency’s attempt to supply an unfamiliar tractor brand. 

The farmers claimed that while they initially agreed to receive Massey Ferguson or Preet tractors, the agency has attempted to deliver a different brand, Swaraj, which they argue is unsuitable for the rugged terrain of the state’s southern zone.

The financial burden on the affected farmers intensified, as many took high-interest loans to raise the required deposits. Speaking to newsmen, the spokesperson for the farmers, Mr. Tapshak Mantu, has stated, 

“We are here to seek a refund of the money we paid due to what I would describe as a breach of contract. Some people here took loans to raise the money… they have been paying interest on these loans from then until now.” Mantu has added, 

“Seventeen months is a long time… some people have already paid interest that is even more than the amount they borrowed.”

The dispute has centered on the technical specifications of the machinery provided. 

Pharm. Henry Dabes, a subscriber and community health pharmacist, acknowledged that while three brands were mentioned, the delivered product was unrecognisable. 

“As for this one, I do not even know the name. We do not know the tractor at all. We have never seen it before in our lives,” Dabes has remarked. 

He has further explained, “What was contained in our MoU with them is different from what they brought, even when we told them that the brand may not serve our needs in the Southern zone.”

In response to the outcry, the PADP Programme Manager, Mr. Ishaku Jilemsan, stated that concerted efforts are being made to end the long-standing dispute. 

However, the farmers remained firm in their demand for a total exit. As Mr. Mantu has concluded, “We are farmers. We are not rich people. Some of us spent years farming just to raise this amount of money. We need it back so we can continue with our farming activities.”

Source: Champion Newspaper