Ebonyi Denies Illegal Deductions From Trainees’ Funds

The Ebonyi State Minis
try of Agriculture and Natural Resources said it did not make any  illegal deductions from funds given by the state government to 48 agricultural trainees.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chief Romanus Nwasum, said in an interview in Abakaliki last Thursday, that all deductions made in respect of the start-up capital for the trainees were stipulated in the proposal submitted to the government.
Some trainees of the state government-sponsored agricultural training to Songahi farms in Benin Republic, had alleged that the ministry’s officials made the deductions.
The alleged deductions were supposedly from the funds given to them by the government to start their businesses.
Most of them who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the deductions had already been taken care of by the government but the officials still went ahead to make further deductions.
“I was supposed to receive N2 million for my poultry business but after the deductions which included insurance and  supervision fees, among others, I ended up receiving N800,000. “We decided to make our plight and grievances known to the public since several efforts made to meet with the governor was blocked by some individuals who might have indulged in the act,” one of them said.
However, the commissioner said that the ministry had not received any representation in that regard.
“We have not received a formal complaint of the deductions by the trainees; this is an act aimed at tarnishing the image of the ministry.  ”The procedure for the release of the funds has stipulated procedures and all charges stipulated and made known to the trainees, he said.”