Rice Ban: Oshiomhole Tells Off Pleading Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister

Pressed by Nigeria’s decision to close her borders to imported rice, Vietnam on Tuesday sent a delegation to the chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for Nigeria to have a rethink.

The country’s delegation led by the Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, Vying Dinb Hue even offered to bring rice into the country at a discounted price.

Oshiomhole was, however, unmoving as he charged that Nigeria must protect her interests and called on the Vietnamese authorities to send their rice farmers to come and farm in Nigeria.

The five-man delegation met Oshiomhole during what was described as a courtesy visit.

Telling off the Vietnamese, Oshiomhole said:

“Nigerians should unanimously back the decision of the Federal Government to  close the borders until our neighbours decide to respect the laws of fair and free trade. Nigeria must not and cannot be a dumping ground for imported foods, imported rice and other smuggled chemicals and drugs into our country.

“I think this is one policy that across party divide, across primordial sentiments, people should salute the courage of President Muhammadu Buhari in shutting down the borders because for too long, we have been a big brother to our neighbours.

“Now, that big brother is hurting us and hurting us very badly. We must secure ourselves as they say when you board an aircraft that if oxygen fails and they drop the mask, help yourself before helping others.

“This is the moment. We must keep those borders shut. If we do so for two, three years, it doesn’t matter. So that, our neighbours will learn to respect the rules of international engagement and the rules of trade. 

“What has happened is that, people relocate out of Nigeria, target Nigerian market and use our neighbours to compromise our own trade policies. So, I think the media should understand what is at stake.

“We cannot continue relying on imported rice. That was why I told the DPM, when he talked about allowing Vietnamese rice to come to Nigeria. I said no, we are not going to do that, we will not do that”, Oshiomhole stated.

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