Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh has warned Nigerians to beware of imported rice coming into the country from neighboring countries because some of them have stayed up to 10 years and ‘it is not fit for even pigs to eat.’
While speaking during an interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee on Agricultural Colleges and Institutions led by Rep Linus Okorie, the minister complained that Nigeria is the largest importer of food in the world spending a total of $20 billion ti import food yearly.
Ogbeh said “The Nigerian elite, either military or civilian, consistently look down on agriculture to the extent that whoever takes interest is looked upon as a failure, it is the destination for the never do wells, it is the place for the poor peasants, for the nameless villager.
“Shall I say that we should thank God that the oil era is over, it is going to cause us stress, but we are a country that react best, when we are under stress, that is what we are and I am glad we all recognise now that we have to eat.
“We depended on $20 billion a year to import food, now we don’t have it. It is time to feed ourselves. I am glad that you, the younger generation, are also taking this matter seriously.
“Some of our next door neighbours have become a major threat for our survival as a country, smuggling across Seme border while the Cameroon border is something that we are going to look into very seriously.
“We cannot destroy ourselves in an attempt to be charitable to others. Too much rice, fish, polluted chicken are coming across the borders and trucks with weapons are coming in too and it seems as if we can do nothing about it.
“Some of the rice coming in today is 10 years old, and it is not fit for pigs to eat. Per boiled rice is not consumed in the Republic of Benin, they eat white rice. Every grain of per boiled rice coming from that border is heading to this country which is about 10 years old.”
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Agricultural Colleges and Institutions, Rep Linus Okorie also added that “The vision of the House Committee on Agricultural Colleges and Institutions in the 8th Assembly, is to be the catalyst of an organized, funded and sustainable Agricultural Research, Education and Extension services sub-sector capable of driving economic diversification and total factor agricultural productivity in Nigeria.”