Federal government has adopted certain strict measures to check against smuggling of rice into the country.
Minister of Agriculture Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, who gave the hint yesterday, said the federal government is seeking ways to ensure that the Memorandum of Understanding (M0U) Nigeria signed with its neighbouring countries to check smuggling is implemented.
Speaking shortly after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, Ogbeh said the federal government has read the riot act to smugglers, saying it will no longer tolerate their activities.
He said, “The other issue was the question of smuggling. In Mr. President’s speech to the National Assembly yesterday, he gave very strong warning about smugglers who bring in unauthorised commodities through the unauthorised borders into the country.
“We have to deal with that because, while we are making a great deal of progress in our grains productions, smugglers are busy compromising the success we have achieved.
“Between September 2015 and now, rice importation through the ports has dropped from 644,131 tones to 20,000 tonnes in September this year. This means that by the early part of next year, we can literally say that we are close to total self-sufficiency in rice.
“On the other hand, to the West of Nigeria, rice importation has increased to 1.33m tones at the Republic of Benin. They don’t eat parboiled rice but the white rice. So, every grain of rice landing there is heading for Nigeria through illegal smuggling.
“Some of it also comes in through Niger Republic. These are issues we have to deal with because we are creating jobs through our local rice production. There are 12.2 million rice farmers in the country now.
Asked on specific actions the government is taking to tackle smuggling, the minister recalled that there was MoU between Nigeria and Republic of Benin entered into when former President Obasanjo was in office.
He noted that the two countries will work together in ensuring that each other’s interest is not compromised.
According to him, while the MoU has not been implemented fully, federal government is going to take it up.
Ogbeh added that already, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has been working with the committee which he heads and he is working with the Minister of Finance, Comptroller General of Customs and the ministry of Agriculture.
Share this
