Reps summon Okonjo-Iweala, Aganga, Adesina over rice policy

Also invited on the matter is Minister of Agriculture  Mr. Akinwumi Adesina.
Chairman of the committee, Rep. Sabo Mohammed Nakudu (PDP, Jigawa), who disclosed this, said the three ministers are to appear before a public hearing organised by the committee.
He said the committee’s decision to organise the public hearing was sequel to a House resolution on the matter following a motion moved by Rep. Nasiru Baballe Ila (APC, Kano) on February 19.
He said the hearing would seek to get answers on the issue of the rice importation “which has caused ripples in the country and, indeed, caused huge loss to the government’s revenue.”
He said, already, the committee has written letters to the three ministers and other stakeholders, calling for positions papers and notifying them of the development.
The policy which was introduced last year by the Federal Government banned any form of rice importation into the country.
Following the introduction of the policy, however, rice smugglers resorted to smuggling the commodity into the country, causing Nigeria to lose over N300 billion last year.