Nairametrics| The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has laid the blame for the Indian garri saga at the feet of Nigerians, blaming the inordinate preference of Nigerians for foreign products for the development.
The country was shocked when it was recently alleged that garri, a product of cassava, which is abundantly produced in the country, was being imported from India, a development Ogbeh described as ”strange and ridiculous” considering the nation’s self-sufficiency of the product.
“Whoever is importing garri from India, something must be wrong with them. Why import garri when you do not know the conditions through which the garri was produced over there.” Ogbeh stated.
He however went on to blame Nigerians for the development claiming that Nigerians would rather eat toxic foreign produce than safe local produce. “Whoever buys that kind of garri should be blamed. Nigerians are too ready to buy anything imported. They will bring in apples and some of them have been preserved with ethanol which is not healthy for our consumption.”
The minister however said that he would launch an investigation along with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) into the matter. He also raised the possibility that the garri was actually made in Nigeria but packaged by an Indian company. “I have heard of it. I will find out by tomorrow if NAFDAC indeed did certify any garri from India; unless it is some Indian companies packaging the garri here… I have no powers to stop imports, but I can recommend to the Nigerian Customs that this is unreasonable.”Ogbeh said.
