Local growers of rice have hailed the
decision at the weekend of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to ban the
entry of foreign rice through the country’s land boarders.
In a decision aimed at ending the massive smuggling of
rice which has cost the country no less than N27 billion since January
this year and is threatening to throw local rice production into
jeopardy, the Customs said on Friday that the importation of rice
through land boarders had been stopped forthwith.
Spokesman of the NCS, Wale Adeniyi who announced the
decision in Abuja that “all imported rice must come through the sea
ports with duty paid on them according to the law.”
Acknowledging this decision as proper and timely in a
statement on Sunday, the “Patriotic Rice Association, (PRAN) “which
raised an alarm, alleging, among others that smugglers had overwhelmed
the customs said that nothing short of the closure of the boarders
against smugglers would save the budding rice industry in the country.
PRAN represented by its leaders, Alhaji Habibu
Maishinkafa and Martins Okereke said that it is the higher tariff and
consequent high market prices that have enthused smugglers to push large
volumes of rice into Nigeria with zero duty, thereby unsettling FG’s
efforts to make Nigeria self-sufficient in rice production by 2015.
They decried the situation in which “large-scale investments made
into the farming and milling industries by private businesses are also
in jeopardy, following Customs’ inability to protect the industry from
the vagaries of smugglers.”
PRAN quoted reports that suggest that more than 400,000 metric tonnes
of rice from various origins are estimated to enter the country
illegally, dealing a major financial blow to legitimate importers and
rice millers.” Needless to add, these illegal imports result in
substantial loss of revenue for the Government, estimated to be in the
range of N 27billion by industry observers,” they asserted.
In his statement on Friday, Mr. Adeniyi, announced that the NCS has
impounded 35,194 bags of rice estimated to cost about N217 million in
the last two months.
PRAN last week alleged that several vessels with cargoes totaling to
more than 220,000 Metric Tonnes from Indian and Thai origins have
flooded the ports of Benin and Cameroun in order to eventually find
their way to Nigeria through the borders.
Vessels from India involving 90,000 metric tonnes to Benin include MV
Lord Curzon, MV Santa Barbara, MV Zeynupkiran, MV Emenates and MV
Captain.
“Vessels from Thailand with cargoes of more than 130,000 metric
tonnes are shipped to Benin on vessels MV White Fin, MV Makra, MV Blanco
Zealand and others. Several container loads totaling over 150,000
tonnes since the start of 2013 have also started penetrating through the
borders through Benin, Niger Republic, borders with Northern Nigeria
and in the east with Yaounde. More than 8 million bags of rice have
flooded all markets including Alaba, Daleko, Ideo, Singer and other
prominent nationwide markets”, the statement added.
They also noted that smugglers have reportedly used sophisticated
weapons attacking and killing customs staff, inflicting fears in the
ranks across the borders.
PRAN said the recent decision banning smuggled rice by the NCS should
be supported by the customs rank-and-file and by the entire citizens
because it is “a patriotic measure.”
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A 21- year -old lady, identified simply as Nofisat,
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the Magbon area of Ogijo in Ogun State.
