Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, yesterday blamed officers and men of the Nigeria Police, Army and the Nigeria Customs Service at road blocks in the country for the skyrocketing prices of food items.


The Minister, who stated this while appearing before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, said unbearable extortion from truck drivers conveying farm produce to various urban centres in the country was responsible for the unending hike in food prices.


He, however, noted that farmers, who were beneficiaries of the scandalous price increases across the country, kicked against moves by the Federal Government to effect reduction in the prices of food items.


Ogbeh while lamenting the development in the food sector, said the unbearable daily extortions by men of the police, army and customs service, visited on truck drivers conveying farm produce from the hinterlands to urban centres under the guise of carrying out security checks, was one of the main factors fueling the high cost menace.

“These truck drivers, based on lamentations made to the Ministry in recent time, alleged that at every check points, they are always forced to part with reasonable amount of money by any group of the security agencies, which they said, made farmers to have no option than to factor cost of the extortion into prices of the food items,” he added.


The minister explained further that based on the complaints by the truck drivers, his ministry wrote the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and heads of the other security agencies to discourage their operatives from such act. He said this intervention by his ministry notwithstanding, daily reports available to him still showed that the unlawful practice had continued unhindered.

awa:
Na waohhh ...

I don't blame Audu because he is following the footsteps of his Boss. Why insulting our collective intelligence.

Thank God the blame is not on PDP this time around

sarrki:


Atimes digest and understand

Everything is not about pdp and apc

They are only platform to contest

The Minister, who stated this while appearing before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, said unbearable extortion from truck drivers conveying farm produce to various urban centres in the country was responsible for the unending hike in food prices

Aufbauh:
Suffice me to say that Nigeria was built on corrupt practices over the years. This is why most people especially those who are used to the system find it inconvenient to forebears with the change agenda of this present administration.

While Mr.President and his loyal team members may have a workable solutions,those at the field has an entirely different agenda to continue their usual practices.
There is a need for systematic reform.

Aufbauh:
Suffice me to say that Nigeria was built on corrupt practices over the years. This is why most people especially those who are used to the system find it inconvenient to forebears with the change agenda of this present administration.

While Mr.President and his loyal team members may have a workable solutions,those at the field has an entirely different agenda to continue their usual practices.
There is a need for systematic reform.

sarrki:
The extortion is just too much

Most times I paid 180k from Adamawa to Lagos as road expenses for our security personel before my truck can get to Lagos

It shows how corrupt this country is

Its not just the leaders alone.
We are all corrupt

A society will get the leader they deserves based on who they are.

Change begins with me and you