Even before the row over the importation of rice could die down, a fresh war appears to be brewing between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the indigenous fish importers in the country. Again, at the centre of this fresh crisis, is the Minister, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina.
The crisis, our reporter gathered, has to do with an alleged favoritism in the issuance of import license to foreign companies mainly owned by Asian nationals to the detriment of Nigerian fish importers, by the Department of Fisheries in the ministry.
A letter dated March 5, 2015 and signed by the Director of Fisheries, Aderemi O. Abioye, had directed that all letters of clearance issued under the 2014 quota allocation should no longer be honoured. The letter which was addressed to the Controller General, Nigeria Customs Service, read in part, “I wish to refer to the fish Import allocations issued to fish importers in the last two quarters of 2014 which validity expired on 31 December, 2014, but further requests are being made for either the extension of their validity or issuance of licenses for the discharge of fish covered by the said letters of clearance”.
The letter added that “please be informed that the Honourable Minister has directed that [i] all letters of clearance issued under the 2014 quota allocation are no longer valid, [ii] there is no provision for validity extension for letters of clearance which validity had expired on 31 December, 2014, however , the companies may wish to make fresh applications for letters of clearance[allocation] for the 1st and 2nd Quarters of 2015”
Again, another letter dated 18 March and signed Adewumi, A.A., a deputy comptroller- general of customs, made it clear that “all letters of clearance issued under the 2014 quota allocation are no longer valid”.
There letter which was copied to all DCGs, all ACGs, all All Zonal Co-ordinators , all CACs and all Heads of Units of the Nigeria Customs Service, also stated that “there is no provision for validity extension for letters of clearance which validity had expired on 31 December, 2014, however, the companies may wish to make fresh application letters of clearance [allocation] for the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2015”
Now these directives have not gone down well with the indigenous fish importers who have alleged that the Ministry has used them to favour Asian busines men to take over fish importation to Nigeria. Before the new policy came on stream, the Minister was said to have granted approval to foreign firms to import 750,000 metric tons of fish.
One of the indigenous importers who pleaded not to be quoted yet, alleged that the Asians, in their sneaky way of doing business, had commissioned a firm to raise false alarm of fish scarcity in the country and by so doing, got the Agriculture Minister last November, to “unilaterally, issue additional allocation of 750,000 Metric Tons of fish to be imported in to the country, by only the Asian Foreign fish importers, to the exclusion of the Nigerian indigenous importers”.
He added that ever since granting this favour to the Asians, no allocation has been made to the indigenous importers, stating that “indigenous fish importers have been made to wait indefinitely as the Federal Department of Fisheries has not been forthcoming in issuing the quota for the 1st and 2nd quarters of year 2015”.
The source alleged further, that “no tangible reason has been given for this undue delay except for the Minister to justify the extra allocation of 750,000 MT in November 2014, to a few Foreign Asian fish importers.
He posited that the 750,000 MT allocation was actually not used to import fish into the country but used to siphon foreign exchange from Nigeria, by the firms so involved, arguing that this is the major reason for the high cost of fish in the country.
The source tasked the Minister to “explain to Nigerians why he decided to favour the Asians foreign importers who add little or no value to the economic wellbeing of Nigerians”. He also asserted that “this obnoxious policy has pauperized the indigenous importers who maintain the cold storage facilities in addition to paying salaries to their employees who have been idle since January 2015”.
It was gathered that the indigenous fish importers are planning to take their complaints to the President –Elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, before he assumes office on May 29.
Efforts to get the Minister to react to these allegations could not yield fruits as he was said to be too busy with some state matters, especially the on going transition programme.