Substandard rice importation decried by NGF

rice

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), has expressed dissatisfaction over the importation of substandard rice into the country in the last administration.

The 36 governors spoke in a statement issued by the Head, Media and Public Affairs of the NGF, Abulrazaque Bello- Barkindo, which called on the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), to take appropriate steps to arrest the situation.

The governors said a large consignment of rice still finds its way into the Nigerian market. According to them, the rice was imported into the country since 2014 when the previous administration issued a liberal import license regime to those who were able to bring a substantial quantity of rice into the country using a waiver from the presidency at the time.

They expressed concern for Nigerians whose health were affected due to the consumption of the substandard imported produce, while also lamenting the attitude of Nigerians in patronising foreign products which most times are fake, stale and contaminated, to the local produce.

However, it should be noted that some states have commenced efforts to produce rice in commercial quantity with a view to halting the nation’s over-reliance on staples that can be produced locally.

Addressing the forum, the Comptroller General of the NCS, Col. Hameed Ali who was represented by the Deputy Comptroller General, Dangaladima Aminu, said that “though there was an upsurge in the smuggling of rice through the nation’s land borders, there had been no alteration to the prohibition on the importation of rice through land borders. He claimed that any quantity of rice which found its way into Nigeria through land routes was smuggled.”

Aminu further noted that the smugglers were aided by border communities who alternated between motorcycles, canoes, and rafts to smuggle contraband rice into the country.

“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,” he said.

He informed the governors that the NCS “takes the issue of smuggling of rice seriously, having identified the danger posed by it to the economic well-being and health hazards it constitutes to the Nigerian people.” As the rice merchants are experiencing huge losses due to seizures by customs.