lHE GUARDIAN, Friday; March 18 ,20U
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lEIbeGiiafllian Conscience is an open wound; only truth can heal it.
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Federal Governnnent and rice snnuggling 1 A IORRlED by the spate of rice smuggling and the attendant loss of Y Y revenue, the Federal Government bas reportedly banned rice importation into the country through the land borders with immediate effect. The aim is to stem smuggling and also to shore ul? government revenue from rice imports that is being lost to smugglers. But while the effort to dieck smuggling In all ramifications is commendable, we consider the ban on rice importation throu~h the land borders a half measure which amounts to playing the ostrich. The measure won't resolve the rising demand for rice vis-a-vis the inability of the country to produce the commodity. Rice, from all indications, has become a staple food consumed by millions of people in the country. And, so, rather than addressing the more important issue of boosting local prodUction, the government is rather encouraging rice importation through the ports as if that is all that is needed. Government seems to be giving the impression that it is not interested in local yroduction of the commodity. But government should encourage loca prodUction, as that is what the country needs. We are disappointed that government has not appreciated the need for the country not to depend on importation for her staple food. For how long would the country continue to feed 150 million mouths with imported food7 What measure is there on ground to ensure food security? Is government doing anythin~ to encourage fanners (rice fanners in this case) to boost local production instead of focusing on derivable revenue7 It is sad that government is only interested in the loss of revenue from smuggling and not in producing the commodity in the country. Government wouldn't have been talking about revenue from rice imports if the country were self sufficient in rice production. Which is more beneficial to the country - to rake billions of naira in revenue or to have enough rice produced in the country, thereby ensuring food security7 Obviously, Thailand, India and indeed the other countries from which Nigerians import rice are not talking about import revenue from rice7 Instead, they are focusing on export revenue from the commodity7 Why can't Nigeria produce enough rice for her population7 What are the River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) doIng7 Why can't there be a reversal of this over-dependence on importation7 What the ban simply shows is that government is desperate in raising revenue irrespective of where it comes from. But it is certainly not in the national in.terest for the unbridled importation of rice to continue, whether through the land or seaports. No country can claim to be developed when it is unable to feed its population. It is obvious that the Federal Government hasn't achieved anything by banning the smuggling of rice through the land borders. Such restrictions have always been off and on in the past without being effective. Rather than abate, the rate of smuggling increased. Smugglers of banned goods often take advantage of the weak border controrand corruption on the part of the Customs. Our markets are filled with banned goods openly displayed because the Customs officials are compromised. For example, was it not the other day that the same Federal Government lifted the ban on the importation of textiles and other items on the ground of inefficient border control and loss of revenue7 It is, therefore, curious how government intends to enforce the new ban. And, by the way, why did government, this time around, choose only rice among the list of other illegally smuggled items7 What happens to the others that are also being smuggled through the land boraers7 Ramer than waste energy and resources chasing smugglers, government should come up with a more pragmatic way of boosting rice production in the country. Luckily, all the major ecological zones of the country are potential rice bowls where high quality rice could be produced. Government should encourage rice fanners with loans. We recall that in April 2009, the Federal Government came up with the idea of a N200 billion Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme, :---which was later scaled down to NIOO bunon to promote food production and processing In the country. What has happened to the proposal7 How many rice fanners benefited from the sdieme7 The Feaeral Government should take the issue of food production seriously and stop playing politics with food security.
Tribute to my father-in-law 1
IR: My father.in -Iaw,\=hief S Peter Adebowa le Olukunle joined his a,ncesI ~hola
tors on Wedenesday ~arc h 9, 20 11 at the age of 7~. He was until his death/ the High Chi ef Osolo of Imasayi. By tradition, the Osolo Of Imasayi i~ the Prime Minister of the ~own who reports directly to the Kabiyesi, Olu of ImAsayi. Papa was such a nice father, a confidant and an in-law per excellence. Since I showed my interest in her daughter arou nd Oqober 1986, he accepted me 'poor mel) as one of his sqns! I was a Class Teacher th~n at the Egbado Techri ca l Insti tute, Ibooro and was always with him for apvice
(he, being a head teacher for many years). He was there for me all the time. When, on the evening of Thursday, March 9, 1989: I vis· ited him to say goodbye as I was travelling to the Un ited Kingdom to study Law, he prayed for me and said he had no doubt about my potentials and that I was des· tined to be great in life. In return, I promised that I wou ld keep my pledge to marry his lovely daughter, Miss Olurotimi Abisoye Abeke Oluku nle. As God wou ld have it, my wife joined me in the UK exactly two years and three days after my exit. Ch ief Olukunle was our guest in London for three months in
2007. As I picked him at
Heathrow Airport, he start· ed complaining about Nigeria's lack of leadership and when we got on the M25 highway towards Kent, he kept wondering why we don't have such eight lanes on Lagos to Ibadan express· way. My daughter and the two boys enjoyed his company so much . With his demise, Vewaland has lost one of its committed teachers and community lead er. Chief Olukunle's burial has tentatively been fixed for the mh and 14th of May 2011. May his soul rest in peace. Sunday Oduntan, Abeokuta, Ogun State
Bakare's caU for violent change never preached violent IR: I was shocked hear try will he govern? Is it not morally repre- change during his ministry S Pastor Tunde Bakare repeat the ca ll made by his hensible for a 'Christian on earth. Even when he was tol
principal - Buhari - inGiting Nigerians to violence. Vet nobody has taken him to task. Does it not amou nt to treason, for a presid~nLial candidate (or VP) to c~ 1I on Nigerians to take up ,arms (Jerrycans of fuel - arson) agai nst an elected govern· ment if their candidate does not win arthe com ing polls? If their supporters set this cou ntry ablaze, which oun-
Pastor' to seek to incite his followers to take to vio· lence and arson? Even Revd. Martin Luther King Jnr. in the thick of the civil rights movement condemned vio le n t change. He talked about struggle only with the weapons of truth, sou l force, noninjury, and courage. Our Lord Jesus Christ
slapped by the high priest Caiaphas's) servant, he swal· \owed the insult, yet he made the ~reatest impact on mank md. Which Nigerian blood is worth spi lling in order to elect Tunde Bakare or Muhammadu Buhari pres· ident? Can a man who publicly subscribes to violence be truly said to be a Christian ? !kenna Ebirtm e-mail: Ikebirun@yahoo.com