We Loses Over #600,000 To Security Roadblocks As Extortion Everyday, Ogun Cashew Merchants Laments
Cashew merchants and exporters in Ogun state under the umbrella of National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) have accused Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police and other security agencies of harassing and extorting their drivers transporting goods to their destinations.
The cashew merchants claimed that, despite paying the legitimate levies and taxes to the appropriate authorities both at the federal and state levels, including grading fees of N11,500 per ton graded cashew and additional 5% export levy on every consignment, members of the association were harassed at every roadblocks mounted by the security operatives.
The association disclosed this on Monday at a press conference in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital
"Addressing journalists, the consultant on special duties and revenue collection, Hon. Taiwo Akinlabi explained that the cashew merchants paid different amounts of money at every roadblocks depending on the tons of cashew.
Akinlabi posited that about 43 road blocks were mounted along Ilara-Imeko-Obada-Olorunda-Ayetoro-Abeokuta-Rounder road with drivers forced to pay atleast N10,000 or N50,000 at every check point.
He added that a truck driver moving 30 tons of cashew from Ilara in Imeko-Afon local government area of Ogun state to a warehouse in Lagos would have to pay between N600,000 and N650,000 at the multiple checkpoints daily.
He noted that the extortion has continued to threaten the operations and economic lifewire of the cashew business in the state and crippling effort to contribute to the present administration’s agenda of strengthening the economy through agriculture.
He maintained that the cashew merchants contributed in no small measure to the economy stability of Ogun state by generating about N20billion naira from 9,500 metric tonnes of cashew nuts produced in the state at the prevailing price of N2million per ton on sales within and outside Nigeria.
He called on President Bola Tinubu and Governor Dapo Abiodun to caution the security from crippling cashew business through illegal extortions.
“Last year alone, about 9,500 (nine thousand, five hundred) metric tonnes of Cashew nuts were produced in this state for sale both within Nigeria and for exports with all legitimate taxes and levies duly paid to the right quarters including the legitimate grading fees of 11,500 (eleven thousand five hundred) naira per ton of graded cashew and another 5% (five percent) payment as export levy on every consignment being taken out of the country.
“We can therefore say it boldly that we are partners in progress with the federal, state and local government authorities in the efforts to move the nation forward, especially through the Agriculture, as we energize the Cashew Industry to promote economic growth, job creation, and foreign exchange earnings."
“We confront a lot of challenges, ranging from unstable international market price of Cashew to poor yields due to climate change and enforcing quality control, lack of funds for large scale merchandise, insecurity and poor road network among others.
“However, the most worrisome problem that has continued to threaten our operations and economic lifewire is the incessant harassment and extortion of our members while transporting goods from one destination to another, especially from the farms to warehouses both within Ogun and other neighbouring states.
“Our members are being forced to cough out different amounts of money, depending on the tonnage of the Cashew, the mood of those manning the road blocks and check points which they have turned to business centres or the negotiating power of drivers conveying the goods.
“Along the Ilara – Imeko -Obada-Olorunda- Ayetoro – Abeokuta Rounder road alone, they have mounted about 43 road blocks, 15 Police check points, 3 for the Nigerian Army, 19 belonged to the Nigerian Customs, the Nigerian Immigration has 2 and another 2 were erected by the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service while our members were being forced to pay at each spot monies ranging between 10,000 and 50,000 (ten and fifty thousand) naira per truck.
“For example, a truck driver moving 30 tons of Cashew from Ilara in Imeko Afon Local Government Area of the state through Abeokuta, the State capital to a warehouse in Lagos state will have to part with between 600,000 and 650,000 (six hundred and six hundred fifty) naira! at the multiple checkpoints and roadblocks mounted by both uniformed and non uniformed persons.
“The extortion officers usually harass our members and force them to pay illegal taxes and levies at collection points mounted along the roads, they include the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Customs Service, the 35 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, officials of the state Internal Revenue Service, the Parks and Garages Development Board, Local Governments Task Forces and Government Ministries, those of Environment, Commerce and Industry as well as Transport have been prominent and you won’t believe this, Community Development Associations (CDAs) are also extorting our members for transporting cashew on the roads. An example is Idiya community at Rounder Abeokuta.
“It is disheartening that those extorting from our members are drawing salaries and wages from the government and other employers but they have devised many ways of causing unnecessary delays and problems for anyone that refused to meet their demands, thereby forcing our members to comply or risk spending hours at the roadblocks and having to miss warehouse delivery times, agreement with truck owners or other engagements, talk less of exposing the drivers to the dangers of travelling behind schedule during unholy hours.
“The incessant harassment has become a serious threat to our members operations and efforts to contribute to the present administration’s agenda of strengthening the economy through Agriculture and that’s why we are appealing to the relevant authorities to put a stop the harassment and extortion that have been causing untold hardship to our members and capable of leading to violent resistance and chaos.
“Cashew is not a contraband or smuggled product, save our business from collapsing because of extortion. We are begging the relevant authorities to look into this problem and put a stop to the trend because extortion is adding to the high cost of transportation of cashew and reducing our production capacity and many of our members can no longer supply directly to international companies in Lagos and other neighbouring states.”
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