The Civil Society Network against Corruption (CSNAC) has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to urgently set in motion its investigative team to unravel the allege‎d abuse and massive fraud in the N117 billion rice import quota scheme.

In a petition to the anti-graft agency signed by its chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, CSNAC urged the chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, to look into the report of an online newspaper, Premium Times, “on the massive fraud.”

According to the report, a total of 26 companies were involved in the deal, two of which are allegedly owned by a former Attorney General of the Federation and a former civilian governor of Kebbi State.

The report also stated that the 26 companies that benefitted from the rice import quota scheme included Milan, Bua, AA Ibrahim, Stine Rice Mills, JMK Foods, Labana Rice Mill, Elephant Group, Honeywell, Kerksuk Farms, Wacot, Mikap Rice, Golden Penny, Stallion, Umza International Farms Limited, Dangote and Olam. Others were Tara Agro, Ebony Agro, Atari Rice Industry, Ashi Foods, JAI, Arewa Rice Mill, Onyx Rice Mill, Bansara Rice, Danmodi and Klysat.

The online newspaper report stated that Mikap Rice is owned by a former Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa, while Ebony Agro is owned by Charles Ugwu, a former Minister of Commerce and Industry. Ashi Foods is owned by the immediate past governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam. Milan Group is a business interest that also owns Intercontinental Hotels while Bua is owned by billionaire Ishaku Rabiu. Honeywell is owned by Oba Otudeko while Elephant Group is owned by Tunji Owoye. Labana Rice is owned by former Kebbi State governor Adamu Aliero while Keresuk is owned by one Rotimi Williams.

CSNAC in its petition noted that, based on the Premium Times report, this is “just like the fuel subsidy scam; this is another case of economic sabotage by a cabal of some sort who will stop at nothing to ensure that they continue to make profit, at the expense of the suffering Nigerian citizens and the economy of the country as a whole.

“This laudable policy introduced by the former administration would have revolutionised the Nigerian economy in terms of putting Agriculture and rice production on the map again, had it not been hijacked by this cabal.”

CSNAC, therefore, called on EFCC “to exercise its full powers in conducting a thorough investigation into the abuse of the rice importation waiver, as well as prosecute the perpetrators and those who have corruptly benefitted from the scheme. They should be made to refund benefits derived from the fraudulently obtained waivers.” This, according to the coalition, “will go a long way in charting a new course for the efficient and effective implementation to the rice policy, thereby boosting rice production in the country, improving the livelihood of small scale farmers in Nigeria as well as revamping the near comatose state of Agriculture in Nigeria.”