Editorial - Rejection of exported yam by U.K authorities, an embarrassment

yam

The recent rejection of yams exported to the United Kingdom (UK) by Nigeria is, to say the least, very embarrassing. It is embarrassing because in the first place we were not even supposed to be talking of exporting raw commodities by now but processed or value-added goods.

Although some experts were of the view that it is not everyone that wants to take yam processed into flour but rather eat it cooked or fried or in porridge form. Now that the exportation of the yams to UK had turned out a failure, it is really a thing of worry to the people.

This issue has once again brought to the fore the issue of lack of commitment and patriotism among the public officials. It shows that the whole system needs to be sanitized, especially with agencies that are strategic to the export drive. Meanwhile, the questions begging for answers are: Why is it that Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development (FMARD) had to handle the exportation, and not the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment (FMITI)? What was the role of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) in the matter? What was the role of the Nigerian Agric Quarantine Service (NAQS) in the whole saga? How much was the loss sustained by the owners of the commodity? Who pays the damage? Is there not a due process to be followed for exporting commodities? Was the process followed? Is there any iota of inter-ministry rivalry instead of cooperation? What lessons were learned from earlier rejection of Nigerian exported commodities that were brought to bear on this issue?  Why the rejection from UK and not USA? As the Agric Minister, Chief Audu Ogbeh directed, let there be a thorough investigation of the matter and the erring public servants penalized so as to serve as deterrent to other would-be sloppy workers. 

However, the investigations should be presided over by the presidency and not any of the two ministries. More importantly, this issue has again brought out the need for a return to good agricultural practices from production to processing and marketing that will withstand un-necessary embarrassment and rejections from foreign countries as there is need to strengthen trade relationship for business harmony.  Also there is need for a private-public sector body to regulate commodities export in Nigeria.