A
House of Representatives member representing Anaocha, Dunukufia and Njikoka
constituency, Hon. Dozie Nwankwo, has called the attention of the lower chamber
of the National Assembly to the one year ban on importation of dried bean from
Nigeria to European countries in a motion before the House.
According
to Nwankwo, the ban was imposed in June 2015, on the ground that the produce
contained high level pesticide considered injurious to human health, adding
that the ban was to last till June 30, 2016, to allow Nigerian authorities time
to provide an export control plan and assurance that the beans exported to
European countries comply with the EU minimal risk levels for hazardous
substances.
He
noted further that several relevant agencies of government including Stand,
SON, NAFDAC and Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment had claimed
to be collaborating with one another to resolve the issue before the deadline,
yet the issue had remained unresolved.
Frowning
at the inability of the concerned authorities to address the issue which had
led to the extension of the ban on dried beans export from Nigeria for another
three years for the reason that the nation did not do enough to lift the ban
during the period of suspension, Nwankwo expressed worry about how safety of
dried beans and other food stuffs being consumed in the country.
After
debating the motion, the House mandated the Committee on Agriculture, Commerce
and Industry to investigate the matter and report back to the House within two
weeks.