The House of Representatives in Nigeria has summoned the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Akinwumi Adesina, over the alleged 21 billion Naira waivers granted some rice importers.
Chairman of an ad-hoc committee of the House, Honourable Leo Ogor, said the investigative hearing on ‘rice import quota and duty payments’ was geared towards uncovering “fraud and exposing the endemic corruption in the importation of rice, with a view to stemming the tide and boosting employment generation.
He said the investigation would further help in strengthening the nation’s depleting foreign reserves and local production of rice.
Nigeria is the second largest importer of rice globally with an annual consumption requirement of about six million metric tons, while its domestic supply is estimated at three million metric tons yearly, with a shortfall of three million metric tons of milled rice per year.
To reduce the importation of rice, the Nigerian government through its agriculture transformation agenda is encouraging rice farming to boost local production and meet the demand.
On Tuesday, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development said that the alleged rice import duty scam that was widely reported to be 21 billion Naira was actually 36 billion Naira, which needed to be paid into federal coffers.
At a public hearing of the ad-hoc Committee on Rice Quota and Duty Payments on Rice Imports Quota and Duty Payments, the minister denied granting any waiver to a rice importing company, contrary to allegations that certain foreign rice investors enjoyed the minister’s relief in duty payment liabilities.
Adesina said he was the one that first raised the issue of monies owed the Federal Government by the importers, which is to the tune of 36 billion Naira even though he was not in a position to receive the monies.
