Business

Rice Millers Raise Alarm Over Smuggling Of Foreign Rice Into Nigeria

Published

1 month ago

January 24, 2021

The National Chairman, Rice Millers Association of Nigeria (RIMAN), Peter Dama, has raised the alarm over the smuggling of foreign rice into Nigeria following the reopening of Nigerian borders.
Dama, in a press statement, yesterday, praised the Nigerian Government on its efforts to ensure the growth in the domestic rice sector but expressed serious concern on the smuggling of foreign rice into the country.
“Millions of tons of smuggled rice is being off loaded at the following borders daily basis without any interruption, or checks by the customs and security agencies for onward transportation Into Nigeria markets, e.g. Kano, Abuja, Jos, Lagos and several cities in the country,” he said.
“The borders frequently used for the smuggling activities are Babura, Kongolon, Ibadan, Oyo State, Seme, Owede, Benin and so many other illegal routes into the country.”
Dama appealed to the Nigerian Government to properly equip and compensate adequately all customs officers manning the borders to enable them function effectively to reduce rice smuggling into the country.
He sympathised with officers and men of the Nigerian Customs Service and other security personnel who have been murdered in cold blood by smugglers.
“Any custom personnel or security agent found to be compromising his position through bribery and corruption to allow smuggled rice into the country should be arrested and prosecuted and if found guilty, be dismissed from service.
“Any truck or means of transportation used to transport smuggled rice into Nigeria through the borders should be confiscated with the entire goods, while the culprits arrested and prosecuted and jailed if found guilty.
“We appeal to the government to set in motion urgently committees made up of various security agencies to raid Nigerians markets and confiscate any smuggled rice found and marketers caught with smuggled rice products be termed economic saboteurs and be prosecuted.
“Stores owned by these unpatriotic economic saboteurs also be sealed up completely, until after paying up fines or after serving prison terms before such stores are reopened.
“These foreign rice sellers and distributors in the market are themselves economic saboteurs by accepting to market banned goods in the country, they should not be spared as they are contributing in the destruction of our common wealth and our attempt to be self sufficiency in national food security.”
He advised the Federal Government to subsidized rice millers, processors, and farmers in the entire rice value to make it more competitive.

Business

Real Estate Executive Tasks Investors On Mass Housing

Published

1 day ago

March 8, 2021

The Tide

In order to reduce housing deficit in Nigeria, a real estate executive, Mr Ade Adebanjo, has urged investors in the private sector to consider investment in mass housing at affordable rate.

He said that time has come when attention should shift from government to the private sector in matters of mass housing, so as to bridge the housing deficit gap across the country.

Adebanjo, the Chief Executive Officer of the UT Finance Limited, a real estate financing firm, gave the advice while speaking to newsmen at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, last Friday.

He said that the idea of encouraging the private sector to invest in mass housing was borne out of the conviction to redefine the narrative in mass housing.

“The overall idea and my conviction on this call is to challenge the status-quo, and to create a unique and innovative platform to deliver real estate solutions in Nigeria.

“The vision is to build future dreams and set the pace for a new innovative approach in tackling home ownership across the 36 states of the country, beginning with the most viable and populated cities.

“Until the private sector investors take rightful position in this matter and not just government alone, the problem of mass housing deficit will continue to be a mirage in the country”, he said.

Adebanjo also encouraged government at the state level to partner with private investors to make mass housing possible and available to its citizens.

He said that he has been discussing with government of various states on possible partnership in the provision of mass housing.

According to him, if the state is able to provide land for the project, his firm will provide the needed funds to execute the project, thus making easy for low income earners to be able to own homes on mortgage facility.

By: Corlins Walter

Business

Rivers NCSU Hails Union Boss Over Court Victory

Published

1 day ago

March 8, 2021

The Tide

The Rivers State Chapter of the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), has applauded the victory recorded by the National President of the union, Comrade (Chief) Lawrence Amaechi at the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja last Thursday, describing it as divine, well-deserved and appropriate.

According to the union, the victory has put to rest agitations and unnecessary litigations by some disgruntled elements against the National President’s elections three years ago.

The Chairman of the union in Rivers State, Comrade Chukwuka Osumah, who made the remarks in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt said the judgement in favour of the National President has paved the way for him to really settle down and effectively pilot the affairs of the union, stressing that it has also provided the leeway for him to remain focused in attending to the welfare needs of members of the union across the country, with a view to taking the union to more enviable heights.

Osumah said NCSU in the state is highly elated over the outcome of the case as it has put the members in a jubilation mood, and assured the National Presi-dent that members of the union would continue to support and rally round him in his bid to reposition the union.

The union chairman equally commended com-rade Amaechi for his forthrightness and commit-ment to the goals and aspirations of the union, and called on members of the union in the state to throw their weight behind the National President to enable him succeed, adding that with the court victory, Comrade Amaechi is now truly in charge of the affairs of the union in the country.

“The victory calls for all those fighting the National President to bury the hatchet and join hands with him to move the union forward because it has clearly shown that he is truly in charge,” he said.

Osumah said members of the union have absolute confidence in the leadership of the National President, and advised him to carry everybody along in his bid to take the union to a greater level.

According to him, “it is now time for all of us to work together.”

Also speaking, the coordinating secretary of the union for Rivers and Bayelsa States and Zonal Secretary for the South South, Comrade Dan Otakpo, while commending the National President over the court victory, said it is a victory for the union.

He noted, however, that he received the victory with mixed feelings since the National President had already done three years of his four-year tenure, contending that it would have been disastrous for the union if the court had ruled otherwise, and pleaded with the National President to carry all the members along.

Business

22 Communities Ask Ikeja DisCo For Disconnection

Published

1 day ago

March 8, 2021

The Tide

Angered by “monthly crazy bills”, 22 communities in Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos State, have written to Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, IKEDC, asking to be disconnected.

In a letter dated February 18, entitled: “Request for de-loading of transformers in our communities” and signed by chairmen of 22 Community Development Associations, CDAs, in Ward E4, Ikorodu North, the communities stressed that they were tired of paying outrageous bills monthly.

The letter reads: “We wish to humbly request the immediate de-loading of the 13 transformers in the 21 communities in our areas by your organisation.

“This is as a result of the blatant refusal of IKEDC to look into several representations on issues connected with your services at various offices of your organisation – Adamo, Imota, Ikorodu and IKEDC headquarters without success.

“For the records, our organisation is the body representing all Community Development Associations, CDAs, in Ward E4, Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area, Ikorodu.

“And it is an indisputable fact that we have written several times to your organisation on these matters, which include estimated billing, poor services and pre-paid meters without any headway.

“Even when we had a meeting brokered by the Divisional Police Officer of Imota, with your officials on these issues, following a protest last year, nothing concrete came out of the exercise, especially on estimated billing, as the problem remains the same.

“As you read this, our people are being billed unjustifiably. Even those who are allotted just two weeks of unstable power cannot believe what they are been billed.

“Meanwhile, all efforts to ensure that pre-paid meters are made available to our people have not yielded a positive result, due to the nonchalant attitude of your organisation.

“This is both wicked and callous, to say the least.

“Against the backdrop of these developments and your brazen insistence on a master-servant relationship, we wish to request that your organisation de-loads the 13 transformers in our commu-nities and subsequent stoppage of electricity bills.

“We cannot afford to be slaves to any group or organisation of any kind any longer, hence the need to severe, as a matter of urgency, any relationship existing between IKEDC and our communities forthwith.”

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