Rice Farmers Lament over Activities of Smugglers, Seek EFCC’s Intervention
Members of the Rice Processors Association of Nigeria, RIPAN, are full of lamentations over the activities of smugglers.
The rice processors who met with the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, claimed that the smugglers were importing expired rice into the country.
Vice Chairman of RIPAN, Pual Eluhaiwe, said the smugglers have forced some of them to close down their local production plants.
He said that many of them who used to produce 10 trucks were now producing only two trucks as a result of the smugglers.
He said, “In the current situation in which we have found ourselves, we have to cut down on our staff, close part of our operations and manage to keep afloat since the smugglers have continued to ship in expired and unhealthy rice into the country through land borders across the country.
“We have come to EFCC to discuss with them on the dangers of rice smuggling into Nigeria via many routes in the federation. It has been happening and it is getting worse that we can no longer sell our rice since January this year.
“It has got to a point that all Nigerians must stand up to do something about the uncontrolled smuggling of rice into the country, a dangerous trend that is directly killing the local rice production plants and farmers.”
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