By Daniel Dauda, Jos

Director-General of Plateau State Microfinance Development Agency, PLASMIDA, Haggai Haruna Gutap stated that between the year 2001 to 2016 the state have lost not less than N38 billion as a result of ‘Wanda Bank’ fraudulent activities.

The DG PLASMIDA made the remarks on Monday while interacting with Journalists in Jos the state capital.

According to him “One of the major challenge of the agency is a major threat caused by unregulated agencies that are going about to defraud people we call them “Wanda Bank”. Over the years when we carried out an assessment of Plateau State, North Central Nigeria and Northern Nigeria at large we discovered that Plateau State alone was affected immensely by this Wanda Bank up to a level that we lost from 2001 to 2016 the state lost not less than N38,000 billion which is huge and this funds would have been to develop the economy.

“But it has been through the private sector regulated body and we discovered that this money has gone down the drain and it has really affected our economy, it has affected the level of jobs to be created, it has affected the confidence of people now within the system and it has sent most of our people to their early graves.

“So, it is a very big challenge as an economist; we believe that when there are linkages within the system, it will become very difficult for you to begin to get to the desired level of development”, he lamented.

DG PLASMIDA, Gutap further revealed that Another issue is that over the years people have a very tailored mindset towards development. “People always believe they can reach out by politics, they can reach out by people in government.

“So people don’t think about the process that would take them to acquire a sustainable all source of life than hang out to government officials and that is why when we commence as an agency of Government most of our people even when the government is trying to ensure they get skills to really go into viable ventures, we discovered that after them acquiring skills and then the start-up packs some of them the go-ahead to sell this equipment and which is a very big challenge.

“So, you can see is militating against the desire of the agency in poverty reduction and we believe that with the continues education and enlightenment we have been given it has gone a long way to change the mindset and quite a number of our beneficiaries today have more expected number of employees working with them.

I know a few of them that have up to eight staff, ten staff, who are working for them. Most of them are SMEs who are trained by PLASMIDA and formalized their businesses with all the regulatory agencies that are required doing their businesses beyond the shores of Plateau State and also beyond the shores of Nigeria.

“Some are advertising their products online based on the skills they have gotten from the agency. So, I have seen a Rea of hope on what we are doing and then this challenges, in the long run, will be translated into strength”.

He also acknowledges that development comes through realistic projection, and development would not come through wishful thought! We can only develop when we have a change of mindset when we are determined to achieve our results and goals.

“I want to tell the Youths of Plateau that for us to move forward we must consistency seek for a solution rather than engaging ourselves in destructive activities. And those that have gotten skills they should apply those and go for constant improvement. Yes, the government may train you and give you kit but is left for you to continue improving yourself and remain relevant within that sector.

“I can say that without missing any word that, in Plateau, over the years when we commence this SMEs award by Federal Government we have consistently been featured not just as spectators but as beneficiaries of the award from the Federal Government.

“That is to say that, there are a lot of talents on the Plateau, and if we will continuously develop ourselves, we engage ourselves constructively, I want to say that Plateau State will become the Industrial Haven of Nigeria and I also have a strong belief that we can compete globally because of the nature of talents we have”, the DG PLASMIDA concluded.