Indigenous fish importers are squaring up to Agriculture and Rural Development Minister, Akinwunmi Adesina, even as the row over rice importation has not fully died down.
The grouse is over alleged favouritism in the issuance of import licence by the ministry’s department of fisheries to foreign companies owned mainly by Asian nationals.
A letter dated March 5, 2015 and signed by Director of Fisheries, Aderemi Abioye, directed that all letters of clearance issued under the 2014 quota allocation should no longer be honoured.
The letter, addressed to the controller general of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), referred to import allocations issued in the last two quarters of 2014 which validity expired on 31 December, 2014 and noted that requests are being made for the extension of their validity or issuance of licences.
“Please be informed that the … minister has directed that [i] all letters of clearance issued under the 2014 quota allocation are no longer valid, [ii] there is no provision for validity extension for letters of clearance which validity had expired on 31 December, 2014; however, the companies may wish to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 first and second quarters of 2015,” the letter said.
Another letter dated March 18 and signed by A.A. Adewumi, a Deputy Comptroller General of Customs, repeated that “all letters of clearance issued under the 2014 quota allocation are no longer valid.”
There letter was copied to all DCGs, ACGs, zonal co-ordinators, CACs, and heads of units of the NCS.
It also repeated that “there is no provision for validity extension for letters of clearance which validity had expired on December 31, 2014; however, the companies may wish to make fresh applications letters of clearance [allocation] for the first and second quarters of 2015.”
These directives have angered indigenous fish importers who alleged that the ministry used the orders to favour Assian business men to take over fish importation.
Before the new policy came on stream, Adesina was said to have granted approval to foreign firms to import 750 metric tonnes of fish.
An indigenous importer who did not want his name in print alleged that Asian importers had commissioned Philip Consulting to raise a false alarm of fish scarcity.
He alleged that in November 2014, this alarm made Adesina to “unilaterally issue additional allocation of 750 metric tonnes of fish to be imported by Asian fish importers, to the exclusion of Nigerian importers.”
Since Asians were granted this favour, he alleged, no allocation has been given to indigenous importers who are “made to wait indefinitely as the Federal Department of Fisheries is not forthcoming in issuing the quota for the first and second quarters of year 2015.
“No tangible reason has been given for this undue delay except for Adesina to justify the extra allocation of 750 metric tonnes in November 2014 to a few Asian fish importers.”
The source alleged that the allocation was not used to import fish but to siphon foreign exchange from Nigeria, adding that this is the major reason for the high cost of fish in the country.
He asked Adesina to “explain to Nigerians why he decided to favour Asian importers who add little or no value to the economic well being of Nigerians.
“This obnoxious policy has pauperised the indigenous importers who maintain cold storage facilities in addition to paying salaries to employees who have been idle since January 2015.”
Indigenous fish importers are planning to take their complaints to President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, before he assumes office on May 29.
Adesina could not be reached on the telephone to respond to the allegations. He was said to be too busy with other matters, especially the transition programme and his quest for the African Development Bank (AfDB) leadership.