Despite the renewed efforts by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) to stamp out the menace of rice smuggling into Kano state, foreign rice still find its way into the state, Chronicle investigation, revealed.
It is against this background, the NCS Kano/Jigawa states command adopt a new strategy of preventing rice smuggling into the states by shutting down any super market or shop were foreign rice is found.
In a warning letter dated February 17, 2020, with a reference number NCS/KAN/053/S.28, signed by Comptroller Ahmed Nasir, the NCS warned shops and supermarkets owners in the state, seeking for their cooperation to desist from patronizing foreign rice and other prohibited items or risk having their supermarkets/shops sealed off by the operatives of the NCS.
When contacted, the comptroller, Ahmed Nasir, on why the customs would not concentrate on the borders rather than descending on shops and supermarkets owners, he said, the agency was acting within the purview of the law as it was empowered by some provisions to clamp down on any errant trader.
“First of all, there is no any country in the world that smuggling is 100 per cent wiped out. So, while we are recording great success at the borders, this new effort will complement that which we are gaining at the borders.
“Our attempt to close down any supermarket or shop selling foreign rice and other prohibited goods is not out of place as there are sections of the law that empowered us to do so.
“Section 158 of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) 2004 gives us the power to patrol freely. Section 147 of the same Act gives us the power to search premises, while Section 167 gives us the power to detain, make seizures and condemnation,” he explained
Comptroller Ahmed said at least 85 per cent success was achieved at the borders as a result of the combined efforts of different agencies involved in the border drill exercise which was aimed at protecting the country against transnational security concerns such as smuggling, proliferation of arms and terrorism.
A visit to some of the super stores indicated that foreign rice is still on display in some shops while investigation has shown that others have theirs hidden only for sale on demand by the customers.
Majority of them have complied with the order as they resorted to selling wholly local rice.
At Sahad Stores, an official who didn’t want his name mentioned said the chairman of the enterprise decided to stop selling foreign rice even before the recent issue of warning by the NCS.
They decried the turnover though as many customers prefer the foreign rice, saying some people do patronize the local one only when they could not get the foreign rice.
At Shehe Supermarket, a business supervisor, Shuaibu M. Aliyu, said “What customers are after in this situation is cheap goods. So, if the prices of the commodity could be reduced, people will buy the local rice.
He said even though his supermarket did not receive the NCS’s letter, they have since restrained from selling foreign rice.
A super store owner who spoke on condition of anonymity said “If the government is really ready to boost local production, instead of the abrupt border closure, they should have made the duties paid on foreign rice excessively high and make the local rice relatively affordable.
He said the customs should concentrate on the borders to ensure that foreign rice does not get into the country rather than going to shops.
On his part, Alhaji Bashir Wada Kura, the chairman of Sabuwar Singer Supermarket, said government must intervene to regulate the prices and ensure that the millers complied to that.
He said there was no reason why the company price should go beyond N14,000, saying the prices were unnecessarily hiked by the millers.
When contacted on the latest prices, one of the millers in the state, Alhaji Abba Dantata said the price ranges from N15,000 to N16,000 depending on different parameters used to determine the cost of production.
On the part of the end users, a consumer, Alhaji Yusuf Nadabo, said “I don’t buy foreign rice, I feed my family with our local rice because it is more nutritious and healthy. It is also the only way we can support our economy.
“Our local millers now have machines for de-stoning and polishing, and that was what we are looking at with the foreign rice, and it is through our patronage that they will be able to purchase the more sophisticated facilities for milling,” he said.
He added that as a value chain that comprises farmers, paddy rice dealers, millers and traders, consumers had to render their support for economic growth, adding that there was the need to review the current prices.
Another, Ibrahim Abba Sadiq, who also said he prefered local rice due to its good taste and nutritional value, also said, “I am currently eating foreign rice because I had the opportunity to get it at a very low price, but to be frank with you I prefer our local rice because of its taste and the milling is relatively good now.”
