ABUJA: Poultry farmers in the country have raised the alarm over activities of smugglers. The farmers noted that this heinous acts are negatively affecting their businesses and the nation’s economy as a whole.
The poultry farmers said the smugglers of frozen poultry products through Nigeria’s porous borders have not relented in their antics to bring imported chickens into the country.
The Director General, Poultry Association of Nigeria, Mr. Onallo Akpa, who raised the alarm at a town hall meeting organised by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at Seme, urged NCS and other security agencies to protect their members from the antics of the smugglers that are bent on destroying their huge investments in the business over the years.
The town hall meeting was organised to formally kick off of a special operation initiated by the Customs High Command tagged, “Hawk Descend” at Seme.
While commending the Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Inde Dikko Abdullahi and his management team for their efforts to tackle smuggling, he enjoined them to do more in the months ahead.
Akpa acknowledged the efforts of NCS so far and added that there was room for improvements in their strategies.
According to the poultry farmers, no effort should be spared in the battle to suppress smuggling and protect the nation’s economy.
At the end of the town hall meeting, not less than 8,000 cartons of poultry products intercepted by men and officers of NCS were destroyed.
The frozen poultry products, which are high on the Import Prohibition List (IPL), were intercepted at Nigeria’s premier border station, Seme.
THISDAY checks revealed that the present value of the seized products in the open market is over N52 million.
Abdullahi said the decision to destroy the items was informed by the need to protect the local industry and save the nation’s economy.
Abdullahi, who was represented by the Deputy Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Musa Tahir, said the town hall meeting was organised to put an end to the smuggling of poultry products into the country.
He said Nigeria can no longer be a dumping ground for smuggled products most of which are preserved with chemicals dangerous for human consumption.
He told participants that NCS has put together a special action plan that will allow the nation’s poultry farmers to remain in business and boost the economy.
He revealed that the over 8,000 cartons of the poultry products were seized by the combined efforts of men and officers of Federal Operation Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Ikeja; Seme, Idi-Iroko and Western Marine Command, Apapa.
He directed all his officers to declare zero tolerance for smuggling of poultry products into the country.
“The objective of ‘Hawk Descend’ is to achieve national food security and protection of the Nigerian economy against saboteurs. It involves a zero tolerance against smuggling of frozen poultry products. During this period, our operatives will intercept smuggled products, seize and destroy them in line with the provision of extant laws and regulation.
“Like the wayward chicks, there will be no hiding place for smuggled chicken in our land. Our hawks will descend and mop them out of circulation”.
Abdullahi assured Nigerians, who have invested their hard earned resources in the local poultry sector of their determination to bring the smuggling of frozen chicken to an end.
He bemoaned a situation where the local chicken farmers are facing unfair competition from smuggled chickens which threatens their huge investments and capacity to play their roles as employers of labour.
“Through their investments, they have created a long value chain that provides direct and indirect employment for millions of Nigerians. This is a sector that needs to be nurtured and our total protection to survive and now is the time,” he said.
In his remarks, the Customs Area Controller, Seme Command, Comptroller Ndalati Mohammed, said officers and men of the service were now well equipped to bring smugglers to their kneels.
He said the smugglers were trying to evade import duty by bringing in prohibited items through unapproved routes.
“Full compliance with the directive from our CGC had resulted in the seizures of the items we are destroying today, so that other smugglers will know that there is no avenue for them to smuggle even a cartoon of chicken into this country,” he said.
