Moves by President Muhammadu Buhari to make Nigeria self-reliant in rice production as well as attracting foreign investment in rice production has been allegedly sabotaged by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) as they had allegedly stalled farming operation of over N1 Billion Naira worth of rice farm in Ogun and Niger states of Nigeria for over nine months.
The agency in the last nine months has stopped SKAPOMAH Global Limited (SPL), from two planting seasons of over One Hundred and Forty Million Naira (N140m) only worth of paddy rice.
This allegation was made by Mr Seun Adegoke, the Managing Director of the company, saying the action of the Nigerian Customs has put over 1000 workers in the job market.
However, Joseph Attah, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NCS, while reacting, said though he was not familiar with details of the allegations but wondered why the agency will seize the paddy without credible intelligence about the origin or source of the paddy, as the only credible investigation will prove the allegations.
Adegoke said contrary to insinuation by the NCS that the paddy rice was imported, the company sourced species, recommended by the Ministry of Agriculture which was impounded by the agency named: Faro 44 from Ogun, Kaduna and Kano states.
“This is to let the world and every concerned Nigerians aware that the government’s efforts to ensure local food production is being sabotaged and frustrated by the officials of Nigerian Customs Service through harassment and intimidation.
“We have it on record that this harassment has caused our farming operations at SGL Farms to lose millions of naira. They had technically stalled our farming operations in a farm that has over one thousand workers strength in the last nine months.
“Our problem with the customs service started January 2021 when we wanted to relocate our rice paddy due to a failed irrigation facility at our farm in Anigbado, Yewa North, LGA, Ogun State.
“We brought in the rice paddy in November last year to the farm from Oyo, Kaduna and Ogun state to our farm in Anigbado, Yewa North LGA, Ogun state hitch-free, but when the study came out that the rice paddy would not yield very well on the farm, our farm extension officers advised us to plant the paddy at a suitable location in Gbakogi, Katcha LGA, Niger State in anticipation of planting during the dry season.
“As we were making an effort to move the rice seeds to a better location, men of Nigeria Customs swooped on our farm and stopped the entire operation process. Their actions stopped us from two planting seasons this year.
“The implications are loss of our financial commitment to our financial institutions, investors, loss of labourers, and inability to produce local rice in line with President Muhammadu Buhari policy.
“Customs alleged that the paddy was not Nigeria grown, this is a lie because we brought this paddy rice from Oyo, Kaduna and Ogun states.
“We have provided all necessary paperwork and receipts from various seed companies who supplied us this paddy but everything has been fruitless. We have had to be hoping and remain optimistic for over 8 months but nothing seems forthcoming.
“This is the same rice paddy that went through their checkpoints weeks earlier. We were however forced to plant some and kept writing and engaging the agency knowing that rice seeds or any agriculture seeds don’t stay on the ground forever. Luckily we made some harvest from the planted area but the problem and denial continue.
“Our investors and financial partners, many of whom are retirees and people who took loans, are already frustrated. Our excuses are no longer acceptable. They have now taken to involving the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) with the impression that we may have diva rated funds meant for agriculture into private businesses.
“I must also state that some investors we also gave payment guarantees have now concluded that we are fraudulent.
“This is a call to relevant and concerned Nigerians to help intervene. Many of our investors are battling one ailment or the other, some are in a serious financial mess and even workers salaries are now a luxury as the company cannot access any inflow to settle all these liabilities.
“We must also remind the public that the corpse of our security staff, Shola Adeleke, who died in police custody hasn’t been released and Mr Hakeem Elegbede is still being held in police custody for the past 3 months without charge over frivolous charge If being a suspected murderer of a so-called Fulani herder whose corpse the police have failed to produce.
“Our suspicions regarding the customs came by the fact that a team was sent to the farm on Saturday 29th August 2021 and officers were telling us such a big farm ought to be in the North and not the South. Our question thus is: are there no lands suitable for agriculture in the South?. This has confirmed our fears that some officers are more interested in frustrating Southern farmers.
“Another surprising narrative is that the Ayetoro police station that arrested some staff members mo hs earlier on frivolous murder charge suddenly turned around saying we are not under their jurisdiction. Isn’t it strange that police officers will make arrests in another jurisdiction without recourse to the police station under whose jurisdiction the so-called crime falls?. All these and many are challenges we have been faced with but we trust that the truth shall always prevail,” Adegoke said.
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