The Comptroller General (CG), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr Bashir Adeniyi Adewale, has said that President Bola Tinubu has directed total compliance with export prohibition act, to pave the way for availability of food items and checkmates smuggled out of the country
Making the assertion on Friday, while speaking with the leaders and members of Dawanu market association Kano, the NCS boss stated; “The export prohibition act, were not been implemented in the country, because Nigeria had food sufficiency in the past”.
He however disclosed; “Now that the country is passing through food crisis, hence, Mr President then directed that the export prohibition act must be fully implemented, as a way of ensuring that they were not exported while masses were in desperate need of them.
“We want to encourage local production of food items in the country, adding that all over the world even in United States of America, there are some products they do not allow to be exported.
“Three and then, those countries put all necessary mechanisms in place to ensure that they managed what goes out of their countries as well as what comes in.
“Every responsible organisation and country has taken that law very important.
“In Nigeria, you may be aware of export prohibition act, is law that forbidden taken some food items out of the country adding that law had been for sometimes but were not been implemented”.
He disclosed that this law, Export Prohibition Act, had not been implemented in the past, because the country had food sufficiency, however the country as at now facing a food crisis hence the need for the directive mandated that the Export Prohibition Act must come to play if we were to address the hunger in the country.
During this present period, the country implemented a law forbidding the exportation of certain grain items, which include maize, sorghum, rice, and beans, amongst others.
Mr Adewale then charged the members of the Dawanu grain market to assist the government by complying with the directive banning the exportation of food items, to provide enough necessary food to the masses.
“It is unwise for a reasonable and sincere country to embark on the exportation of food items, why her citizens were in need of them.
“You are a big stakeholder in this direction, these are reasons am here to interact with you and solicit for your support.”
He then disclosed that the Custom, would not like to embark on raiding of markets but would continue to engage the stakeholders on the need for them to contribute their quota towards addressing the lack of food items in the country.
Earlier, the chairman of the Dawanu market Alhaji Muttaka Isa, said the traders in the market were not hoarding food items.
“This market is the largest grain market, we not only sell in bulk to the country but as well to other neighbouring countries, like Chad, Niger, and other foreign countries.
“We also assisted in keeping and supply food items to Internally Displace Persons IDP) promised the readiness of the association to complement effort of the government in tackling inadequate food items,” he said.
Credit: Nigerian Tribune