Ejezie has been using operatives of the DSS to intimidate and harass them because of the grains given to them by the CBN which never germinated after planting.
Delta State members of the Rice Farmers Association Of Nigeria (RIFAN), have raised the alarm concerning what they called 'intimidation and harassment by operatives of the state command of the Department of State Services (DSS), Asaba'.
They alleged that the intimidation followed the instructions given by the association chairman in the state, Sylvanus Ejezie.
The members who are drawn from across the 25 local government areas of the state, said in the last few weeks, Ejezie has been using operatives of the DSS to intimidate and harass them because of the grains given to them by the Central Bank Of Nigeria (CBN) sometime last year, which never germinated after planting.
Some of the members who spoke on condition of anonymity disclosed that part of the continued intimidation and harassment was an invitation by the DSS to come to Asaba on Friday, December 24, 2021, for questioning on the instructions of the association's chairman.
They added that the state chairman has been running the affairs of the association like a personal estate while alleging that he has been defrauding members of millions of naira for nonexistent and frivolous things.
Narrating their ordeals in the hands of the state chairman, a member of the association from Ukwuani Local Government Area of the state, said, "The state chairman, Sylvanus Ejezie has finished us. He used members to make money. Any inputs given to the association for members to plant, he will make millions of naira from such gestures. Before giving out the inputs, grains that came last year through the CBN to members, he compelled rice farmers in the state — about 1,400 of us— to pay him the sum N11,400 each and he ended up extorting from us the sum of N15,960,000, which was paid into his private account.
"How much is actually the worth of the inputs given to us the farmers? Did we actually complain to the CBN that due to flooding that affected the grains as well as the strong sun, the grains could not germinate? Why is Ejezie tormenting us with DSS and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)? Why trade with us after extorting N15.9 million from us? The state chairman, Mr. Sylvanus Ejezie, has given the names of farmers to the DSS and EFCC to intimidate and harass us over farm inputs that he distributed which never germinated. Ejezie should be the one to be investigated on his fraudulent and corrupt activities in the association and give an account of all the millions of naira embezzled and not the other way round."
While calling for the immediate intervention of the state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa and the general public to save them from the hands of the association chairman, using the DSS operatives to intimidate and harass them, the members gave names of rice farmers to appear before the DSS in Asaba on Friday, December 24, 2021, to include Peter Omoaholo Prince, Moses O. Mare, Lucky Power, Otuwho Augustine, Otuaga Paul, John Edhebe and Eddy Oyomarieno.
They said some names have yet to be made public.
When contacted for his reaction to the allegations by the rice farmers, Ejezie declined to comment, saying, "Please I can't talk to you because I don't know you. Come to my office. I only talk to people I know."
He then hung up the line.