The Authority which oversees the MMA-ADA Scheme in Region Five will have an independent audit done of it, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha announced yesterday while stressing that if any malpractice is discovered persons will be held accountable.
Mustapha met with farmers from the MMA-ADA Scheme to discuss and resolve land disputes – one of the main issues in that district.
At the location, Mustapha told the gathering that the meeting was organized so that he could have first-hand information on the land-related issues in the scheme.
After over 100 issues were raised, Mustapha said that only a few were recommended for further investigation by the special committee as most of the issues raised were resolved immediately on the spot.
However, Mustapha revealed that an independent audit will soon be conducted at the Authority and should there be any evidence of malpractices those involved will be dealt with.
While addressing those in attendance, Mustapha said that leases are issued based on recommendations made to the Board by the MMA land sub-committee.
He explained, “The MMA has a land sub-committee that deals with issues as they arise. After carrying out their investigations, this committee makes recommendations to the Board on the way forward. Upon examination of these recommendations, the Board having a fair idea of the issue, could either agree or disagree with those recommendations and issue leases based on those recommendations. Over the last few months, there have been allegations on social media so I’m here to listen to the persons who are the actual farmers and lessees so that we can have any existing issues resolved amicably.”
After having one-on-one meetings with the farmers at the Onverwagt location yesterday, Mustapha told journalists that most of the issues raised during the engagements were resolved immediately.
“Some persons came just to follow up on matters that are actively being dealt with at the level of the Board. Based on what took place today and contrary to speculations by members of the Opposi-tion, I can say that there are not many land-related issues in this scheme. I’ve not heard of any persons receiving lands for favours or anything remotely close to that but we will continue to engage with persons in the MMA Scheme. Out of the almost one hundred issues we dealt with today, only a few will be sent to the special committee for further investigation,” he noted.
Mustapha explained that the independent audit will soon be conducted at the MMA. He added that the audit will not only examine the process by which persons receive leases but also cases where lessees residing overseas are subletting to farmers.
“Shortly, a team will be engaged to conduct an independent audit of the leasing system of the MMA over the last six years or so. This will make known under what conditions the leases were issued, who received these leases, and so on. Another concern for us is that persons currently residing overseas who received leases for hundreds of acres of land are subletting to farmers for exorbitant amounts of money. If you recall, when we were in Opposition, the previous government increased the land rental charges from $3,500 per acre to $15,000 per acre. We took a motion to Parliament to have the decision reversed but the previous government didn’t reverse it. We know what their view was on developing agriculture and empowering farmers of this country. When we got back into government that was one of the first things we did; reverse the land rental charges. So, it makes no sense for the government to make the rates affordable only for persons to rent these lands for, in some cases, ten times the amount charged by the government. That is unfair because the farmers are not getting those benefits which also filters down to the consumers.”
Several board members, senior officers attached to the ministry, and members of the MMA Lands Com-mittee were also present at the location for the meeting.
In recent weeks, the PNCR has raised allegations of irregularities at the MMA-ADA.
