From Isaac Ojo
The Managing Director and CEO of Rojenny Stadium and Tourists Village, Oba, Idemili South LGA of Anambra State, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka(Ogilisi) has criticized the federal government for lifting ban on importation of rice, palm oil and items.
Chief Ezeonwuka in a statement practically dragged the duty bearers for taking certain steps capable of impeding the growth and development of the country.
“There are certain grave mistakes the people in governance and authorities make that can completely ruin this country why would the federal government lift ban on importation of some items like rice and palm oil among others items. Rice and palm oil are two items whose importation are surpose to be completely restricted because Nigeria has attained a near self sufficiency in the two items.” He said.
The MD, CEO Rojenny Stadium and Tourists Village, expressed worry that with the lifting of ban on importation of the two items, unscrupulous business will begin to import substandard rice and palm oil into the country.
“Now that the ban has been lifted, the problem now is that China will flood Nigeria with plastic rice and trust our people they may embrace the artificial product and mistake it for foreign rice. I taught the All Progressives Congress (APC) government has achieved self surficiency in rice production when they displayed Rice pyramid in Abuja during President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime.
“I closed my tooth pick factory in Oba in 1980 where I employed over four hundred workers and we were doing export of toothpick to Europe. We closed the factory because government lifted ban on importation of toothpick then.” Ogilisi Igbo recalled.
He said as a matter of fact that lifting of ban on importation of products which can easily be produced in Nigeria is responsible for collapsed of over ninety percent of industries and companies in the country.
“Textiles factories, flourmill factories, sugar factories, cement factories and many more which are closed because of importation of foreign products has become a major factor rendering Nigerian youths jobless. When the past government encouraged rice producers at home, over 40% of rice mills were closed in Thailand. Someone like Coscharis that I brought to Anaku invested billions of Naira in rice production.
“The federal government should know that no forward looking nation will ever lift ban on importation of products that can be produced locally, doing so will be tantamount to failure to protect local manufacturer and no such country can survive.”Ogilisi insisted.
