From Linus Oota, Lafia

Almost three months since women in Nasarawa State filed out to register for the Aisha Buhar’s loan scheme, nothing has been said about the exercise which compelled each woman to pay N2000.

The women who participated in the exercise amidst hunger and frustration lamented that what they received in returns as their own part of the change is trauma and anguish and vow to resist any attempt by the state ministry of women affairs to embezzle their money

 Daily Sun gathered that over 5000 women are said to have registered for the loan and this is generating some flakes from different quarters about the authenticity of the whole process with many concluding that it was fraud.

The women who are currently languishing and raising suspicion on the state commissioner for women affairs Mrs Eunice Kigbu, have demanded for the refund of their money, noting that they will embark on massive protest to the ministry next week.

They explained that the exercise led a lot of them into unexpected debts and has brought untold hardship and sufferings to them.

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According to one of the applicant for the loan, Hajia AminaMohammed ,who told our correspondent in an exclusive chat that she and her colleagues went through difficulties in trying to secure registration with the Nasarawa State Ministry of Women Affairs, adding that some women went as far as borrowing the said N2000 just to meet up the criteria for the loan as specified by the ministry.

Amina who wondered why implementation or disbursement of the loan has not taken place up till now without any official communication from the ministry said they have held series of meetings in preparation for the protest.

She explained that since she secured the registration along with other women last November, the hope of getting the money is dashed in the wind as no communication was established on the position of the loan from the ministry, rather than excuses by the staff of the ministry, whenever an attempt to see the commissioner was made.

“The most annoying aspect of the whole issue is that every woman was asked to pay #2000.00 for the form and that every woman must open a bank account, we spends weeks under the sun and in hunger trying to get registration forms as well as open an account”

Explaining further she added that” we are not kids and the ministry should know that for poor women like us to raise N2000 under this recession is not easy, many families have not been having up to three square meals a day, then somebody will sit in the comfort of his office and attempt to embezzle such an amount, it is not possible” she lamented

All efforts to get the ministry’s reactions failed as the commissioner was always not on seat to comment on the matter, efforts to get the information unit of the ministry also fails as the said officer was always not on seat.