The Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria has expressed its growing frustration over the government’s unfulfilled promises concerning the baking industry.

The National Secretary of the Association, Jude Okafor, spoke to our correspondent on Sunday, drawing attention to a pledge made by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, last year regarding wheat donations from Ukraine, which were supposed to be given to master bakers.

Okafor recalled that during a meeting in Abuja between February and March of the previous year, Kyari had promised that wheat donations from Ukraine would be provided to bakers to help alleviate the high cost of production.

However, the secretary lamented that nothing had been delivered to date.

“The promise that was made by the Minister of Agriculture, in respect of the wheat donated by Ukraine to make available to master bakers has not been fulfilled.

“The promise was broadcast everywhere on television, and it was based on that commitment along with other promises, including but not limited to the reopening of the suspended empowerment project that we decided to suspend our national withdrawal of services. However, up until now, it has not been implemented,” the secretary lamented.

In addition to this unfulfilled pledge, Okafor raised concerns about the suspension of an empowerment programme intended to support the baking sector.

He disclosed that several monies which ran into billions of naira from the Cassava Bread Fund had been “diverted to areas unrelated to the bakery industry, as confirmed by the National House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions following our petition.”

The fund was established in 2012 under the Goodluck Jonathan administration, he claimed.

The bakers association has consistently called on the National Assembly to ensure these funds are allocated to the Ministry of Agriculture for empowerment programmes.

The secretary further explained that despite their repeated efforts, they have been unsuccessful.

“We have presented our case to the National Assembly to release those funds for the Ministry of Agriculture to support programmes that would empower master bakers and assist us in various ways, but we have yet to see any results,” Okafor said.


https://punchng.com/bakers-decry-non-implementation-of-govt-promises/