By Mohammad Ibrahim
Kaduna (Nigeria) — Nigeria has been called upon to establish a special committee and a task force to be saddled with the responsibility of monitoring the importation of rice through the land borders within the next four months before our local grown rice is harvested.
The National Chairman, Board of Trustees, Harmonised Traders Union (HTU) and Chairman, Board of Trustees, Amalgamated Textiles Traders Association, Kantin Kwari; Kano State, Dr. Bature Abdulaziz Jibrin made the call while chatting with newsmen.
Dr. Bature said members of the committee should comprise of individuals with proven character drawn from importers, businessmen, security agencies and the customs.
The Chairman Board of Trustees appealed to the federal government to discard the past abuse on the importation when it allowed the importation of rice through the land borders and reopen the initial permission to the North and South to soothe the prevailing problems encounter.
He pointed out that the permission to bring in the rice again through the land borders for four months to elapse about October, 2016 will ease problems to be encountered during the Ramadan fasting period, the celebrations of Eid-Fitri and Eid adha as well as Christmas.
He assured that the revenue that will be generated will be five times more than the previous receipt when the importation of the rice was allowed through the borders, especially from the North.
The Chairman, who was member of the committee for the importation of the rice through the Northern border, said the other committee members know the few bad eggs among them who messed up and betrayed the trust the federal government reposed on them to bring rice through the Northern border, assuring that they are ready to disclose them.
He commended the federal government for its good gesture which was aimed at helping the massed, adding that the grains recently released by President Muhammadu Buhari shows that he is responsive to the out-cry by the people.
