The year 2020 has been anything short of being dramatic – Many people lost their jobs this year due to the pandemic, and many more countries have had to switch to their strategic food reserves and banks to ensure that they meet the food demands of their people.
In Nigeria, though we might not readily say that the COVID-19 pandemic hit so much that it was strong enough to cause food shortages around the country, what happened after the pandemic, however, is big enough to cause food shortage at a catastrophic proportion.
Some Nigerians took advantage of the #EndSARSNow protest and unleashed mayhem on the nation; looting and burning down facilities that they could gain access to.
The Rice Millers Association of Nigeria (RIMAN) on Thursday expressed concerns over the devastating mayhem and lootings carried out on its member’s facilities across the country, in the guise of the #ENDSARS protests.
The RIMAN National Chairman, Mr. Peter Dama, said the hoodlums and miscreants hid under the guise of being peaceful protesters, attacked and looted the Glams Foods Lagos, Shemad Rice Mill Yola, and several other companies operated by its members.
Mr Mohammed Shemad, the Chief Executive Officer of Shemad Concept Nigeria Ltd, recapped to reporters on Monday morning how the thugs forced their way into his rice mill located at Bakin Kogi and removed all the 10,615 bags of processed rice.
While condemning the attacks in a statement, RIMAN National Chairman, Mr Peter Dama, said tons of milled rice, rice paddy, furniture, machines and operational vehicles at the premises of the affected mills were destroyed and looted. At the same time, some parts of buildings were set ablaze.
As a result, he said the incident would create some deficits in its members’ contribution to the national food security. He regretted that the affected mills would be shut down for a while, and that would inhibit the national rice supply; leaving his members with huge debts to pay.
He added that the rice mills factories at the moment were in rubbles, describing the act as highly regrettable and insensitive.
He said: “RIMAN is therefore shocked and sad at the level of the havoc that was carried out on these rice mills and other government and private properties within the country.
“The resultant impacts on these rice mills will create some deficits in our member’s contribution to the National Food Security and Rice Value Chain, as the affected Rice mills will shut down for a while at this critical period with huge debts to pay.”
The association, therefore, urge the federal government to assist the rice millers with funds to rebuild and restock to commence their operations, as most of them, took bank facilities to answer the call by government to add to national food security deficit, particularly on rice self-sufficiency in the country.
The farmers also appealed to the government for the provision of adequate security cover at the mills which are currently under threat, to forestall future occurrence.
RIMAN also expresses its sympathy to all those whose properties – valuable assets and milling equipment, were destroyed, vandalised or looted and prayed that the authorities would compensate them on time so that they can resume operations.
The statement further appeals to the Nigerian youths “to sheath their swords, since they have spoken loud and clear and the government has heard. They should therefore retreat and await the implementation of government promises to them.
“We also further advice that in future, Nigerian youths should explore dialogue and negotiations with authorities whenever there are grievances to resolve to avoid miscreants hijacking their well-intended moves meant to move the nations forward.”
