6 February, 2018
The President
Federal Republic of Nigeria
Aso Villa
Federal Capital Territory-Abuja
Nigeria

Dear Sir,
LACK OF PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE ALLOCATION OF N1.1 BILLION FOR YOUR POLICY AGAINST RICE IMPORTATION.
Warm greetings to you Mr. President. I write to you today concerning a policy of yours which maybe you don’t know the gravity of its hardship on your fellow Countrymen and I promise to keep this missive as concise as possible.
I was terribly disappointed on 02 February, 2018 when the Federal Executive Council headed by you approved N1.1 billion naira to buy 50 cars for a joint task force to prevent rice importation which will further increase the starvation of indigent Nigerians while the person who won the contract for the supply of the 50 Cars will be smiling to the bank.
In 2015 when you emerged President of this great republic the price for a bag of rice was N8,000. Locally produced rice since then till today has failed to meet up with demands as to quality and quantity. The locally produced rice cannot satisfy the current population as it is not even enough for those in the rural markets talk more of the urban market making the reliance on importation crucial. It’s possible your daughter’s wedding was not celebrated with local rice. They cannot tell me that it is local rice that is being consumed in Aso Villa. You placed harsh restriction on importation when the Country was unprepared and it raised the price of the smuggled rice to about N18,000 per bag causing hardship and starvation on indigent Nigerians who found it expensive even when a bag was N8,000. Price of rice doubled and workers salary did not increase. Now here are some key possibilities from the N1.1 billion allocation;
1. The task force to be empowered with 50 Cars at 1.1. Billion naira may still allow smuggling.
2. The task force may corruptly charge importers higher and the price of rice will further increase maybe to N40,000 per bag in a few months.
3. Indigent businessmen and driver may get killed at the borders under the guise of non compliance with your policy.
4. Local rice will not meet up with public demand because the farmers are not empowered.
5. Hunger will increase to a higher level than it is now.
6. People are going to criticise you and your policies more.
Instead of setting up a task force to be intimidating innocent business people, why not do the following;
1. Rescind the N1.1 billion allocation as it is obviously uncalled for.
2. Allow easy importation. Remember it also generates revenue.
3. Use the 1.1 billion naria to empower local rice farmers and aspiring rice farmers to produce food for this County.
4. Divide the N1.1 billion into 11,000 and you will have N100 thousand naira to 11,000 rice farmers in the 36 States. That way you will be empowering 305 farmers in each State.
Imagine the magnitude of rice product this empowerment will yield the next year. This can end hunger in a State for two years. There will be no need for importation of rice. Employments will be created and we may even stand a chance of exporting our own rice.
If bags of locally produced rice are everywhere and selling cheaper than the imported rice you won’t be the one to advice Nigerians on the choice of local rice. You don’t need a task force to compel people not to patronise legit food of their choice in a democracy.
You don’t need a restriction on importation to solve the problem of dependence on importation and the competition between local and imported rice but if at all you believe in the restriction then you should have prepared Citizens because food is part of daily life requiring care and time when policies are being formulated. People can no longer afford food because of your policy
In 2015 when you became President and a bag of imported rice was N8,000 if you had empowered local rice production well enough and also allowed easy importation by now local rice would have given the imported rice a good competition.
By now maybe a bag of imported rice will be N4,000 and in a way
it will give the naira value in the international market because a few naira will
be chasing big international goods unlike now than a lot of naira is chasing
small goods.
Use the federation’s money to empower the people not to intimidate them. I
don’t want to believe you are a tyrant. And please get someone you can trust
and support her or him for 2019 so you can take a rest. You are a national hero.
You have done your bit for your Country and Nigeria shall remember you
forever. Well-done your Excellency.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
Austin Okpe, Esq.
(Austin Okpe is an Abuja base lawyer)

Source : http://www.9newsng.com/open-letter-to-president-muhammadu-buhari-by-austin-okpe-esq-must-read/

Who is he ?

Esq my foot

Baba till 2023

Somebody say sai baba

A mere charge and bail lawyer

Baba till 2023

God bless Muhammadu Buhari