Editorial Banning rice import through land, right decision

The decision of the senate chamber to suspend the idea initiated by the Nigeria Custom Service (NCS) is a sign of responsiveness to people’ yearning towards rice development in Nigeria. Although this has generated a lot of arguments and counter arguments just as many observers have expressed their contradiction against the world trade agreement which logically may not be logical in the case of Nigeria based on her economic challenges and the need to develop our agricultural sector with backward integration policy that will encourage local production thereby creating jobs and encouraging farmers.  

 

It’s always more rational for every nation as a matter of must to protect her interest by proactive economic policies which the lifting of the ban on rice is one of them that must not be encouraged as we support and commend the position of the Senate Chambers being presided over by the Senator Bukola Sakari on this issue so as to give robust development to rice production using backward integrations approach that is already embarked upon through the 2014 policy on the produce.

The reason behind NCS pushing for the lifting of ban on the rice passing through the land borders is something of great concern despite its incapability occasioned by man power inspite a proactive rice policy of 2014 which was adjudged as a good tool to drive self sufficiency in the year 2017 if the document predictions had been followed to letter by those that are supposedly meant to ensure implementation of the policy towards tax and duty evaders by all means.

It is very unfortunate to our minds for NCS to bring up this kind of issue to public domain when it is obvious that its mandate is to implement policy emanating from the government cum the recent non performance in term of ensuring payment from those companies who over imported beyond the limit of rice waiver given to them.

In the face of dwindling revenue generation due to falling price of oil, it would not be out of place for government to ensure all her leaking holes be tidied up towards ensuring proper accountability through measurable scientific tool rather than any alternative which may not be a guaranteed measurement as there are many porous land border roads without enough and even honest manpower at these duty post.

It is quite interesting to note that rice generates 50% of the total revenue of NCS annually and this has been the bone of contention why proper mechanism of monitoring the duty and levy on the produce must be made more transparent as rightly advocated by the Senate committee set up to look into rice import duties and waivers queried why the demand for the lifting of the ban on produce passing through road borders thereby by-passing the seaport where proper documentation will be carried out.

After arguments at the senate chambers, the request from those who support and against goes in favour of those that wanted the suspension of the lifting of the ban on rice  as proposed by the NSC so as to enable the development of our agriculture and economic empowerment. This decision is a very good pointer to the sensitivity of our distinguished senators to backward integration of agricultural policy of developing this local produce which must be extended to other produce like sugar.

We want to suggest that more decisive steps must be taken as regard political will to supporting the development of the sector in terms of checkmating policy summersault that has been the bane of the failing of the sector that cut across production, processing and marketing at the value of all the agricultural produce with principle of comparative advantages being operational at all the tiers of governments in the country.