Soni Ehi Asuelimen<\/p>\n
Most times, we seem to be carried away by dissipating too much time on
\nmundane issues than on substance. This is why the lies of two ministers
\nover claim that Thailand is shutting down most of its rice milling plants
\nbecause of the brazen lie that tremendous local rice production is
\nresponsible. We were expected to applaud the Mohammadu Buhari
\nadministration for the phantom miracle. I know some have decided to ignore
\nthe propaganda lies of APC administration. But that could be a fatal
\nerror. Lies serially repeated can suffocate truth and be erroneously
\nperceived as truth over time.<\/p>\n
Agriculture minister Audu Ogbe said recently that rice mills in Thailand
\nfrom where most of imported rice comes from were closing shop because of
\nBuharis bogus rice production success. The information minister Lai
\nMohammed followed quickly by telling that Thailand was begging to
\nestablish rice mills in Nigeria to help mill Nigerias phantom surplus
\nrice.<\/p>\n
However, the Thailand ambassador to Nigeria shunned diplomatic niceties to
\ndeny the claim of Audu Ogbe, explaining that he never in the wildest
\nimagination uttered such claim in his discussion with the Agric minister.
\nStatistics easily accessible show rice mills in Thailand are doing well
\nand creating jobs from the failure of Nigeria to improve domestic rice
\nproduction to feed teeming population and create jobs. If Ogbes
\nfoundation was a lie, then Mohammeds building crashes. Sadly, the two
\nministers are above 70 years old, grandfathers. What lesson to children?
\nFor this international embarrassment, for which no rejoinder to the
\nambassadors denial has come forth, the two ministers still their jobs
\nunder a confessed sleeper Buhari.<\/p>\n
It is this kind of official lie that misled government since 1978 to
\nrestrict rice importation, amongst other edible commodities, to fill the
\nserious gap in domestic production. Yet for 40 years of restricting rice
\nimport, and encouraging massive smuggling nationwide via prohibitive
\ntariff and levies, domestic rice production has not improved beyond 40
\npercent of domestic demand.<\/p>\n
Briefcase rice producers have cashed into the official deceit. They
\npropose to federal government to provide land for them to grow rice, but
\nask for import duty waivers to import rice to fill the shortfall. Twenty
\nyears after government conceded, the briefcase farmers are yet to produce
\nrice in Nigeria, but are making killing profits importing rice, enjoying
\nimport duty waivers and undercutting domestic rice producers who dont
\nenjoy government assistance.<\/p>\n
Under the Jonathan administration, several of these rice importers
\nshortchanged government by not paying or underpaying taxes to the tune of
\nseveral hundreds of billions of Naira. Since then, nothing has been
\nreported on government forcing the rice importers, largely foreign
\ncompanies, to pay up on dodged taxes, a criminal offence, or any sanction
\nimposed for slapping government laws and policies on import quota
\nlimitation.<\/p>\n
In fact, the Buhari administration is detested today because of two policy
\nactions, namely dramatic petrol pricehike from N97 to N145 per litre in
\none swoop and the sudden and devastating devaluation of the Naira that saw
\none dollar trading for up to N500, down now to N360 from N100 during
\nJonathan administration. The policy inspired by the International Monetary
\nFund (IMF), swallowed ignorantly and navely by Buhari, has provoked
\nmassive inflation, devaluation of living conditions, massive factory
\nshutdowns and unemployment so much there is palpable anger in the land and
\nthe confused illiterate government is confounded on what to do.<\/p>\n
Riding on the crest of popular people support that enthroned him, I had
\nthought Buhari would reverse the failed food import restrictions by
\nGeneral Obasanjo in 1978 as military head of state, continued mindlessly
\nby other administrations. We ban or restrict importation of basic food
\nitems (rice, frozen fish, meat, poultry) we cannot produce and allow the
\npeople to suffer nutritional deficiencies, ill health, short life span,
\nlow productivity. While Nigeria and Buhari administration continue with
\nprimitive agric methods of roaming cattle rearing, African nation,
\nBotswana, here has three million cows, produced through ranching, for
\n300,000 human population and exports the excess processed production to
\nthe United States of America. So, what makes it impossible for the dumb
\nNorthern states and federal government to ranch cattle and process into
\nfinished frozen products and containerized to Lagos and other urban
\nmarkets? About 100 cows processed can fit into one 40 feet refrigerated
\ncontainer. Is this not better than walking 100 lean and emaciated cows
\nfrom Sokoto to Lagos, a distance of over 1000 kilometers, what can
\ncomfortably fit into one container?<\/p>\n
What grieves me most is that the dumb and unprepared dummy politicians
\nthrown up for political office continue to repeat old errors and expect
\nright results. Regrettably, dumb and similarly greedy electorate vote them
\nback into power, as we are about doing again and again to continue the
\nvicious circle of cluelessness. Lord have mercy!<\/p>\n
Lest we forget, the West African Rice Development Association had about 15
\nyears ago identified 47 varieties of rice that can be cropped all year
\nround, three or four times a year, suitable for all types of land: swamp,
\ndry, upland and lowland. So, there is no excuse. With irrigation, all
\nseason production is feasible and possible. Why do we continue to live in
\nstone age using and being contented with primitive subsistence farming and
\nstill expecting elusive food self-sufficiency and security?<\/p>\n
For[SP1][SP2]instance, the Customs department has in the past 12 years
\ndemonstrated the futility of continuing with the regime of food import
\nrestrictions and prohibitive tariff when local production hardly covers 50
\npercent demand. Republic of Benin ports and economy are booming because
\nof Nigerian importers trying to dodge inefficient seaports administration
\non discharge of cargoes, oppressive import duty and levies on restricted
\nfood items all of which have made smuggling to thrive, with smugglers
\nready to die in face off with the Customs than die in installments from
\njoblessness. What is the sense in buying a bag of from India for N1000 and
\npaying N1600 import duty and levy bringing landing cost to N2600 (six
\nyears ago) when the same bag via Republic of Benin attracts N300 duty,
\nthereby making smuggling attractive and inevitable.<\/p>\n
The Customs had in the past years counseled the federal government to
\nslash oppressive taxes and levies in order to reduce the attraction for
\nsmuggling and reduce the casualty of men killed in confrontation with
\nsmugglers nationwide. Sadly, we have a government that listens only to the
\nselfish advice of political businessmen who produce political and
\npropaganda rice than the real stuff. How long can we continue using failed
\npolicies and expect success results?<\/p>\n