Profiteering, exploitation : Customs Boss talks tough, threatens to arrest anyone attempting to resale seized food items

Profiteering, exploitation :
Customs Boss talks tough, threatens to arrest anyone attempting to resale seized food items

…Excludes Customs officers from taking part in the exercise

…Says frozen poultry products are dangerous for human consumption

Individuals conceiving the idea to resale the seized food items disposed to needy Nigerians, to tackle food scarcity in the land should desist; or be ready to face the wrath of the law. This is because the Comptroller General of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, has threatened to take a decisive action against individuals or entities trying to sabotage the exercise.

The CGC gave this strong warning during a press conference, held in Lagos, to flag off the pilot exercise.

The CGC said that the exercise is being coordinated by the office of National Security Adviser, with Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) as the lead agency working hand-in-hand with other organisations to implement the policy of Federal government on food security.

He warned : “These items are not to be resold. If we see them in any store, we will retrieve the items and arrest the store owner immediately, as such action will be regarded as economic sabotage.

“It is imperative that beneficiaries of this exercise understand that the items are not to be resold. We take a strong stance against any form of profiteering or exploitation of this initiative.

“We urge Nigerians to report any incident of misuse or unauthorised resale of the seized food items. The Service is committed to transparency and accountability in this process. We will not hesitate to take decisive action against individuals or entities found to be in violation of the terms of this programme.

In the same vein, the CGC stated emphatically that Customs Officers nationwide are not allowed to buy the seized items.

The CGC didn’t give any reason for excluding officers who risk their lives to make the seizures; but he only maintained his position for not allowing the officers to take part in the auction exercise.

Responding to questions from reporters on why frozen poultry products are not included among seized items to be auctioned to needy Nigerians, the CGC declared openly that frozen poultry products are dangerous to health, as such, the public should not expect Nigeria Customs Service to auction such items.

He stressed that the condition in which the products are being seized is not good for human consumption.

According to him, “I don’t agree that seized frozen products should be given to our people to eat because they are not suitable for human consumption. Also, I do not like the method of destroying the items. Going forward, we will look at a better way of disposing the items, in a manner that will not be harmful to our economic environment”.