The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Monday called on the management of the Nigeria Customs Service to consider the possibility of lifting the ban on the importation of rice through the nation’s land borders.
Speaking when the Comptroller-General of the Service, Hameed Ali, paid him a courtesy visit in his palace in Sokoto, the monarch said the policy of the government has brought untold hardship to the Nigerian masses and aggravated the scarcity of food in the country.
“This policy should be revisited with a view to making amends and ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians,” he said.
The monarch stated that he has been receiving complaints of the masses on the present hardship in the country and called on the customs boss to therefore brainstorm with his management team in this direction.
He said “There is no food in the country so there is the need for the borders to be reopened for rice importation through land borders.”
He commended the renewed efforts of the federal government to boost domestic production of rice and promised that the traditional institutions would continue to sensitise the people on the need to support the policies of the three tiers of government.
In a remark, Ali promised that the the management of the Service would brainstorm on the request of the Sultan and present same to the government.
“This is a policy of the federal government and it does not start and stop on my table but i will present it to the government,” he said.
Ali solicited the support of the Sultanate Council in ensuring the success of the fight against smuggling.
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