OLOTA MEETS CUSTOMS BOSS OVER CLASHES WITH ALLEGED SMUGGLERS

The monarch who is a journalism Professor commended the Command for professionalism exhibited in carrying out their constitutional duties within the State and also expressed his concern about the modus operandi of the command especially the frequent raids of Sango Otta market in search of foreign rice.

Penpushing further reports that, he advised the command to be more proactive and vigilant at the borders / entry points used for smuggling these products into the country instead of coming to the city to create tension during the raids.

 The royal father restated his unalloyed support for the men and officers of the command and expressed his resolve never to support any illegality in any form or shape, while also noting that as a monarch that has the interest of his people at heart, he will not want to lose any of his subjects or have his domain unstable occasioned by clashes between the customs and the traders.

The first class traditional ruler also advised the Command to come up with an advocacy solely aimed at educating the rice traders on the need to encourage and patronize locally produced rice.

However, in his own contribution,  Seriki of Ota, High Chief Olanrenwaju Bashorun advised the  Customs to explore other means of stopping the importation of rice most especially at the borders instead of market raids to avoid loss of life on the part of the traders or innocent citizen during the course of their operations.

Penpushing further reports that, the Comptroller General, Michael Agbara in his response thanked the monarch and other stakeholders from Aworiland for the timely intervention, adding that he considered the visit as the beginning of good relationship between the command and residents.

The customs boss, however, warned he would not allow some individuals to turn Ota most especially Sango part of the community  as smuggling hub in the State, pointing out that most of the affected marketers are the warehouse owners who are operating interstate smuggling and have chosen Ota as point of transit.

‘The effort of the command is aimed at  achieving one of the core functions of Customs, that is trade facilitation, and to passionately key into the Federal Government Executive Order, on ban of importation rice’, he stressed.

Penpushing also reports that, the meeting   resolved that a Town Hall Meeting will be organized at a later date where the Nigeria Customs, Traders and Stakeholders would be able to interact extensively with the view of proffering lasting solutions to the menace of smuggling in Otta and its environs.

The  dignitaries who accompanied the first class traditional ruler include ;High Chief Olanrenwaju Bashorun (Seriki of Otta), Chief Segun Johnson(Otunba of Otta), Chief Ezekiel Bamisaye Fadipe(Aro ofo Otta),  Baale Maruff Alagbe(Baale of Eguishi) and Prince Adeyemi Sulaiman Olusesi(Personal Assistant to the monarch.