Former President Goodluck Jonathan |
The Nigeria
Governors Forum, NGF, has expressed concern over the arrival in the
country of low quality rice ordered during the administration of
President Goodluck Jonathan.
The NGF in a
statement said the rice which it described as harmful to human beings
came through waivers given to political patrons of the administration as
a way of compensation for financial support to the 2015 Jonathan
presidential campaign.
The statement
issued by the Head, Media & Public Affairs of the NGF Abulrazaque
Bello- Barkindo said the rice is still finding its way into Nigerian
markets despite having stayed for years in their various countries of
production.
Noting that while
the bulk of the rice was stale, others were either rejected in other
countries or had overstayed in various warehouses before they found
their way into Nigeria through the activities of some unscrupulous
elements.
The NGF thus
charged the Customs to shed light on the matter as the governors
expressed concern that Nigerians were either falling sick or losing
their lives to the consumption of substandard produce.
The governors
frowned at the situation where Nigerians snubbed locally-produced
commodity in preference for foreign ones which were most of the time,
stale, contaminated or fake.
The NCS boss has meanwhile affirmed that there is no alteration in the prohibition of imported rice through the land borders. even as he noted the upsurge in the illicit activity.
In a brief to the
NGF through the Deputy Comptroller-General, Dangaladima Aminu the
customs said that the rice was usually smuggled into the country through
unauthorized border routes which span more than 4000km and that the
smugglers were aided by border communities who alternated between
motorcycles, canoes and rafts to smuggle contraband rice into the
country.
Aminu said, "your
excellencies, it may interest you to note that a motorcycle can make up
to 30 trips with six 50kg bags of rice per night depending on the
distance and when the border communities are not smuggling the produce
themselves, they are aiding or providing cover for smugglers."
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