BEGS ALL SOUTH EAST NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTS TO INTERVENE IN THEIR PLIGHTS.
Eche Nwaobasi, Nnewi.
Traders dealing on dried meat under the aegis of Dried Meat Preservers Traders Association (DMPTA) has appealed to the newly sworn in administration of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene and rescue them in their ugly plight with Nigeria Customs Service who they complained has been harassing and extorting them despite the fact that their business has been declared genuine and legal by all the relevant national approval agencies in charge of the business even as they beg all South East National Assembly elects to put more interest in the matter and save them from Nigeria custom service who want them to be thrown out of their business as a result of their nefarious activities adding that their members don’t engage in exportation of hides and skin to another country as recently alleged by the Nigeria Custom Service Kebbi State Area Command.
Making this appeal while reacting to a recent statement issued by the Nigeria Custom Service Kebbi State Area Command that it has seized a truck loaded with donkey meat, skin and hides intended to be smuggled out of the country belonging to the association during a press briefing in their association National Headquarters Onitsha, Anambra State, Chief Ikechukwu Aniude the National Chairman of the association flanked by Aniobi Chinonso, secretary, Ejike Christian Chukwuabia as well as other executives appealed to President Tinubu and South East National Assembly elects to intervene and save them from been thrown out of business and described the Nigeria Custom service statement as wicked, tissue of lies and concoction made by Nigeria Custom Authorities Kebbi State Command to blackmail their business to extort them, insisting that, their business was declared legal by all the approval agencies setup to regulate the business adding that they don’t deal on hides and skin or indulge in exportation of their products to other countries as wickedly alleged by the Nigeria Custom.
Aniude who stated that their business which started in 1957 was legitimate and legal while appealing to well meaning Nigerians to come to their rescue from Nigeria Custom meddlesome activities in their business, listed several incidences where Nigeria Custom wickedly seized and destroyed their goods worth millions of Naira thereby inflicting heavy financial losses on them.
These incidences includes, on 8th March, 2022 seizure and destruction of their goods worth about N200 million, followed by another one again on 22nd March, 2022 last year where a trailer load of their goods worth N200 million was unjustly seized and quickly destroyed adding that this latest one which was apprehended in Kebbi State on 18th May, 2023 this year and seized on flimsy allegation that it was carrying hides and skin and made to be exported to another country was another wicked allegation to blackmail their business insisting that they don’t export as well as deal on hides and skin but rather engages in donkey meat preservation which is certified legal by all the national approval agencies set up to regulate the business.
