CORRUPT PRACTICES IN THE GROWTH ENHANCEMENT SUPPORT SCHEME (GESS): EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM FARMERS’ PERCEPTION IN OSUN AND ONDO STATES, NIGERIA

The study was carried out to investigate corrupt practices perceived by farmers in the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) in Osun and Ondo states. A structured interview schedule was designed to elicit information from 187 farmers that were selected through a multistage sampling procedure. Results show that all (100%) the farmers interviewed were aware of the GES scheme. More than half of the farmers benefitted from improved seeds (67.3%) and bags of fertilis er (52.9%). Majority of the farmers (71.7%) agreed to the statement that ‘there is diversion of inputs to retailers who in turn sell the commodity to farmers at the prevailing market price’. Sixty-two percent of the farmers agreed to the statements on ‘disappearance of input dealers/officials at redemption centres’ and that of ‘repeatedly requesting farmers to come to the redemption centres to redeem their inputs without receiving the inputs’. Other corrupt practices perceived by farmers included distant redemption centres (54.5%), non-appearance of farmers’ name in the redemption list (65.2%) and use of delay tactics by officials at the redemption centres denying farmers of their inputs (45.5%). More than half (52.9%) of the farmers had positive perception of corrupt practices among officers involved in the implementation of the scheme. Years of schooling was found to be positive and significantly correlated with perception of corrupt practices (r=0.166; p≤ 0.05). The study recommended the need for increase in the number of the redemption centres, timely input supply, proper monitoring of the officials involved in the distribution of the inputs and reduction of needless bureaucratic regulations. Keywords : Corrupt practices, Growth Enhancement Support Scheme, farmers’ perception, farmers.