By Modupe Gbadeyanka
An agreement has been signed between the Bank of Industry (BoI) and the federal ministry of finance to recover the N17.5 billion outstanding loans being owed by customers of the Nigeria Economic Reconstruction Fund (NERFUND).
The BoI, which manages the fund, said it would adopt all legal means available to recover the bad loans for the government.
Speaking after signing the deal, Managing Director of the bank, Mr Olukayode Pitan, said it was unfortunate that those who obtained the loan from NERFUND have failed to repay, making it difficult for others to enjoy the scheme.
“Part of what we signed today is that BoI will continue to manage NERFUND. That means that those who owe NERFUND and also outstanding facilities that have put NERFUND into trouble, BoI will recover and make sure those loans are collected.
“This is to let people know, especially those owing NERFUND, to begin to come to the Bank of Industry for repayment.
“People took the money and refused to pay back, some had good reason but many did not. The money to be recovered now is about N17.5 billion and we will use all available means legally possible to recover the money,” Mr Pitan told newsmen in Abuja.
Speaking further, the bank chief said, “For us from Bank of Industry, we have to learn from NERFUND what not to do so that we do not also end up like NERFUND.
“The idea many Nigerians have is that when you have a government institution like NERFUND, BoI, Nigeria Export-Import Bank, Bank of Agriculture that is giving out loans, they think that it’s a part of their national cake that is not meant to be repaid.
“It’s when those who have taken that money repay that the banks can be in business and lend to more Nigerians.
“It is even sad when you know that most of these loans were given at interest rates that are below market rate.
“So when government has gone out of its way to allocate money to ministries and agencies to help Nigerians and they are not being paid back, you are not doing government any favour.”
On his part, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Mahmoud Dutse, thanked the BoI for the coming up with the NERFUND initiative.
He told journalists that, “We have signed an agreement to formalise a relationship that will build between the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Industry and the National Economic Reconstruction Fund.
“We had problems earlier on with NERFUND, serious industrial crisis between the staff and the management and we decided at some point to bring in the management team from the Bank of Industry to take over the management.
“So far they‘ve done an excellent job and we also want the Bank of Industry to render some services to NERFUND.”
