The Nigeria Customs Service (NSC) has said that the rice smuggling, especially in the South Western part of the country reduced drastically in the first quarter of 2018 compared to what was obtained in the previous year 2017.
The Customs Area Controller in charge of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A, of the service, Comptroller Muhammad Uba, who said this while showcasing some of the seized bags of rice to newsmen in Ikeja, on Wednesday, attributed the reduction in rice smuggling to the federal government's policy on rice importation into the country.
He also warned importers to desist from the importation of vegetable oil adding that the unit is determined to ensure that all government monies are recovered.
He also said that it is only Olive ad Castro oils that are permitted to come in even as he urged importers that importation of oil in crude form will help create more jobs.
"Like I told you we will continue to enforce the government policy. Just like what I told you in the case of rice, last year 2017 we seized over 130, 000 bags of rice and this year within the period of six months we have seized about 34, 000 bags. Even if you multiply it by two you get about 78, 000. You see that the illegal importation of rice especially in the south west zone have been reduced that's what statistics have shown. We also look at our record and last year and the first six month it shows that the policy of the government on rice importation is working"
"I keep on telling you that this vegetable oil in a refined form is banned. Olive oil and Castro oil are the only ones that are permitted to come in crude form. The policy of the Federal government is if you import oil in a crude form, it will be further processed and people will get employed"
He also lauded the federal government policy on rice importation adding that it has boosted local rice production in the country.
"That is why the federal government made this policy on local rice production. For instance now, the Lavana rice meal in Kebbi state produces 320tons per day, like wise the one in Kano, Abakaliki and other parts "Why we are succeeding is that we carry everybody along. Customs might be differ in their in functions but their purpose is the same. We differ in our boundaries and jurisdiction but own aim is the same"
He explained that the policy has made a lot of people to be self-dependent and more reliable. He also said that the country is self-reliant enough to be able to feed other nations comfortably with its local rice even as he encouraged youth to engage themselves in farming.
"So people are now becoming more dependent on local rice production because we are becoming more reliable, we will be able to feed other nations. When you have a healthy population, the youths when they economically engaged in farming", he said.
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