The Nigeria Customs Service( NCS) will, on Friday, start the distribution of seized food particulars to Nigerians.
iReportnews gathered that the foreign rice would be vended at N 10,000 per 25 kg of rice to vulnerable Nigerians. still, speaking during the flag- off of the deals at Zone A Command of the Service, the Comptroller General of Customs( CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, stated that particulars to be distributed formed part of the particulars seized by the service in recent time.
The CGC stated that the service has noticed that some people whom he described as ravagers have started moving food particulars in large amounts out of the country.
He said this action by the group has also put pressure on the force of food thereby creating failure around the country.
“ In recent months, the government has been addressing the challenges faced within our frugality, particularly the lagged goods of instability and the current exchange rate issues.
These challenges have aggravated enterprises about food security, leading to a concerning trend where food particulars are moving out largely to neighbouring countries.
“Some of the particulars include over 20,000 bags of varied grains( Rice, sap, Maize, Guinea sludge, millet, Soya sap 2500 cartons and 963 bags of dried fish.
Others include, Dried pepper, tomatoes, cooking oil painting, Maggi, Macaroni, swab, sugar, garri.
“This trend isn’t sustainable as it puts pressure on our productive capacity and threatens our food security.
To address this, the NCS has remained responsive in carrying out its accreditation to cover our borders from the flux and exodus of defined goods.
“One concerning trend noticed is the exodus of food particulars in huge amounts, posing a trouble to our food security.
It should be noted that the condition for the import of any item is only met upon fulfilling adequacy internally. In this regard, food particulars supposed not to fulfil these conditions are showing up in our interceptions made at the borders ” he added.
The CGC further said as part of ongoing commitment to securing the food security of Nigerians, the service has secured blessing from the government to dispose of the seized food particulars to indigent Nigerians at blinked prices of N 10,000 per 25 kg bag of rice.
He said criteria for Nigerians to profit from the action include having a empirical National Identification Number( NIN) and that the target groups include crafters, preceptors, nursers, religious bodies, and other Nigerians within our functional areas.
“The intention is to reach out directly to members through these organized structures to insure the maximum impact of this exercise.
“To insure the security and integrity of this action, NCS has put in place comprehensive measures.
These measures encompass robust security protocols throughout the process. Our officers will be nearly covering the entire force chain to help any abuse or diversion of the food particulars. also, we’ve established strict guidelines and eligibility criteria to insure that the particulars are distributed only to those in genuine need.
Also, we will be working nearly with applicable agencies to insure compliance with the terms of this program, ” he said He said it’s imperative that heirs of this exercise understand that the particulars aren’t to be resold, adding that the service has taken a strong station against any form of profiteering or exploitation of this action.
He said “We prompt Nigerians to report any incidents of abuse or unauthorized resale of the seized food particulars.
NCS is completely committed to translucency and responsibility in this process, and we won’t vacillate to take decisive action against any individualities or realities set up to be in violation of the terms of this program.
