NIGERIANS from all walks of life both at home and in the Diaspora fume with rage why and how packs of imported 'garri' were allowed into the country by the Nigerian Customs Service, The Sun reports.
Nigeria, it argued, being the world’s largest cassava producer with an estimated 75 per cent of the produce processed into garri, millions of Nigerians were shocked last week when packs of imported garri from India were discovered at a supermarket in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Gari, which is desiccated, crispy, creamy-white and granular staple food stuff happens to be the least of any item that anyone would imagine, could be imported from else where in the world into Nigeria because it is surplus supply and is being produced almost in every state in the country.
After National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) visited the supermarket in Ikoyi and 26 packets of 500mg each of the product was seized for analysis. Investigations reveal that the garri was actually produced in Ghana but was packaged in India before making its way into Nigerian stores.
The Indian firm, TRS Asia’s Finest Foods, wholesale and retail group based in the United Kingdom, also has canned tomatoes labelled ‘Plum Peeled Tomato’ without registration number but carries expiring date in supermarkets in Lagos.
Reacting, Chief Executive Officer, Highhill Agribusiness Development Centre, Don Adeniyi, said that NAFDAC has raised the bar very high, saying that if the agency makes the business environment friendly, everybody will love to register his or her products.
He said, “when you get your products registered, we would now be looking at the database to know this one or that one has complied with NAFDAC requirements. But if we continue at the rate we are going, we will still have some problems at hand because presently NAFDAC has increased its registration fee again. If you check their website now, the registration has been increased again. With this, we are still going to have a lot of non-registered products in the markets.”
He blamed the NCS for not doing what it is supposed to do, stressing that unless there is a drastic reform in the Customs people will continue sabotaging the efforts of our system.
He lamented: “I am sorry to say that Customs is like the most non-effective government agency we have presently. When you say you ban a particular product, it is that period you will see that product in the market everywhere. Presently, rice is coming in through land borders like never before. I think there should be a scapegoat and people should be held responsible and should be punished.
“Because of the money you want to take, you are putting people’s life in jeopardy. Imagine people brining in imported jollof rice and all that into the country and the Customs will just allow these things to come into the country. Somebody needs to be held responsible and serve as a scapegoat. Customs needs to be effective at their various primary assignments.
“It shouldn’t be the headache of Nigerians to start picking up things that are not supposed to come into our country in the first place. If they do their job, things will be okay. When you are given assignment, you need to stay alert; if you are not doing your job, it’s either you resign willingly or you get punished for not doing your job.”
The Managing Director of Wilstoun Foods, Chukwuemeka Wilson, said: “I got in touch with NAFDAC and I asked them to verify the quality and the standard of the cassava used in making that Indian garri. The garri was made in Ghana and packaged in India. Maybe because we don’t have enough standard packaging facility, they take it outside the country, package and bring down here.
“The way Ghana produces its garri is quite different from the way we produce ours. I know their method of producing garri. So it is left for NAFDAC, as a regulatory body, to certify whether that product is up to the standard. Our standard is higher here in terms of production compared to Ghana.”
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