Cashew merchants allege extortion by security operatives at check points

The National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) Ogun State Chapter has raised alarm over alleged incessant harassment and extortion by security operatives manning check points on roads across the state and environs.

Penpushing reports that Consultant, Special Duties for the association Hon. Taiwo Akinlabi made this known on Monday at a press conference lamenting that the security operatives which include police, army and customs have subjected their members automated teller machine on the road.

The association declared that they are operating legitimate business and had been contributing positively to the economic growth and revenue generations of Ogun State and Nigeria in general, explaining that the said security operatives have remained stumbling block for their legitimate operations

‘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’, the body stated.

Penpushing further reports that the association buttressing its positive impact explained that lastyear alone, about 9,500 metric tonnes of Cashew nuts were produced in the state for sale both within Nigeria.

The association added that all these are for exports with all legitimate taxes and levies duly paid to the right quarters including the legitimate grading fees of N11,500 per ton of graded cashew and another 5% 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’, Akinlabi said

‘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’, he added.

‘However, the most worrisome problem that has continued to threaten our operations and economic livewire 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, he stated.

‘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.

‘Our members were being forced to pay at each spot monies ranging between N10,000 and N50,000 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 N600,000 and N650,000  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 concerning 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 road blocks 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’, Akinlabi said.

‘To promote the enabling environment for our members to operate their businesses seamlessly, we are calling for the urgent intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government, Governor Dapo Abiodun and the State Government, Chairmen of Local Governments, the Inspector General of Police and the State Commissioner of Police, the Comptroller – General of Customs and the Customs Area Controllers, the Chief of Army Staff and the 35 Artillery Brigade Commander’.

‘We are also not leaving the authorities of the Ogun State Internal Revenue Service, the Parks and Garages Development Board, PAGADEB and the State Commissioners for Community Development and Cooperatives, the Ministry of Environment, Commerce and Industry as well as that of Transport in Ogun State’.

‘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’.

‘Enough is enough, we cannot continue to work to feed illegal tax collectors on the roads, let the relevant authorities rescue us from extortion that is killing our business so that we can prosper and contribute our quota to National development, the association emphasised.

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