Presidency has accused unscrupulous Nigerians of working to undermine President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration to revamp the Nigerian economy.
It declared that smugglers and politicians were the brains behind the attempt to pull the nation backward.
The presidency condemned the decades of mismanagement and underutilisation of the country's assets within and outside the borders, leading to revenue losses that have hindered economic growth.
Vice President Kashim Shettima made the assertions yesterday at the Public Wealth Management Conference in Abuja.
Shettima said 45 trucks loaded with maize were intercepted while making their way to neighbouring countries at midnight on Sunday.
He said, "Just three nights ago, 45 trucks of maize were caught being transported to neighbouring countries. Just in that Ilela axis, there are 32 illegal smuggling routes. And the moment those foodstuffs were intercepted, the price of maize came down by N10,000. It came down from N60,000 to N50,000.
"So, there are forces that are hell-bent on undermining our nation, but this is the time for us to coalesce into a singular entity. We have to make this country work. We have to move beyond politics. We are now in the face of governance.
"Sadly, some of our countrymen are still in the political mode. They are the practitioners of violence, advocating that Nigeria should go the Lebanon way. But Nigeria is greater than any of us here. Nigeria will weather the storm."
According to Shettima, instead of waiting till 2027, desperate politicians who could not get to power through the ballot box were hell-bent on plunging this country into a state of anarchy.
The vice president admitted that Nigerians were passing through challenges and appealed for patience, as he expressed confidence that things would soon change for the better.
Shettima, who represented Tinubu at the event, hinted at plans by the present administration to create millions of jobs by unlocking the value of Nigeria's vast public assets to optimize and double the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He said that with economic revitalisation as its top priority, the federal government has a target of raising at least $10 billion to increase foreign exchange liquidity that will, in turn, stabilise the Naira.
The finance minister assured that while 42,000 metric tons of assorted grains are being released with 60,000 metric tonnes to follow shortly, as part of measures to arrest food inflation, food prices would drop in the coming months as a result of government actions and policies.
The conference was organised to draw up strategies for effectively managing the nation's assets and resources to enhance the welfare of its citizens.
Chairman of the MOFI Board, Dr Shamsudeen Usman, assured that MOFI will, going forward, play a more active role in the management of assets under its purview, even as he urged operators of the assets to see MOFI as partners rather than competitors or regulators.
Also, the chief executive officer of MOFI, Dr Armstrong Takang, gave an overview of the MOFI renewed mandate, particularly highlighting expectations from the public and the private sector. He also announced the launch of a N100 billion Project Preparation Fund by MOFI as part of its renewed mandate of ensuring professionalism in the management of public assets.
He said the overall objective is to deliver commercial value for the common good of the people, assuring that the company will transform the fortunes of public assets under its purview and restore investor confidence in both the operations and management of the assets.
Customs Moves To Crash Prices With Seized Items
Meanwhile, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is set to crash the soaring price of food items, especially rice, in the country as it is set to auction the food items seized from smugglers across the country.
LEADERSHIP reports that the food items seized by officers of the service and forfeited by the court to the federal government are Rice, groundnut oil, palm oil, and noodles, among others.
However, speaking to LEADERSHIP, a senior Customs officer said a bag of 50kg of rice will be auctioned at N20,000 to the public.
According to the source who craved anonymity, the aim of the federal government was to bring down the soaring prices of food items especially rice and as well make it affordable to Nigerians.
"Rice is sold for N75,000 per 50kg in the local market; we will sell ours at N20,000 to bring the price down. When there is a supply glut, the price of food items will all come down," the senior Customs officer told LEADERSHIP.
In a statement made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday, the NCS national public relations officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, said the decision to dispose of the food items was in response to the critical challenges of the soaring costs of essential food items in the country.
Maiwada also stated that the modalities for the disposal will be communicated through NCS formations nationwide, with a firm commitment to transparency, fairness, and public safety.
He revealed that the service had launched a strategic anti-smuggling operation and public engagement in its commitment to prevent the unlawful exportation of vital food resources for individual economic gains.
"Furthermore, to alleviate the hardships faced by Nigerians and improve access to essential food items, the Nigeria Customs Service will facilitate the direct disposal of food items forfeited to the federal government. These items will be certified fit for consumption by relevant agencies and made available to ordinary Nigerians nationwide through equitable distribution in our Areas of Operations (AoO).
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The customs spokesman further stated that the exercise will be managed diligently to ensure that the benefits reach those mostly in need in the country.
...Intercepts 4 trucks intended for illegal export
In a related incudent, the Kano/Jigawa Command of the Nigeria Custom Service has intercepted four trucks of food items intended for illegal exportation.
The intercepted items include 1,505 cartons of dried fish, 14 bags of 100kg homegrown rice, three bags of 50kg homegrown rice, two bags of 100kg homegrown beans, among others.
The spokesperson of the Command, Saidu Nuruddeen, in a statement made available to Journalists Yesterday in Kano said the interception was made through the relentless effort of its patrol teams in Kano and Jigawa States in an effort to tackle smuggling and ensure food security.
Nuruddeen said the interceptions underscore the relentless efforts of the command in enforcing the border closure policy aimed at safeguarding the nation's economy and ensuring food security; noting that, smuggling undermines legitimate trade channels, poses risks to public health, and deprives the government of much-needed revenue.
While reiterating its unwavering commitment to combating smuggling activities across all entry points into the country, the Command urged the public to provide timely and actionable intelligence to facilitate the apprehension of smugglers and the seizure of contraband goods.
