Lockdown: Poultry farmers demand review of security at checkpoints

The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has appealed to the Federal and State Governments to urgently reconstitute security operatives manning various checkpoints in the country.

This, they said, would ensure smooth and effective implementation of directives on COVID-19 containment.

Tribune Online reports that Mr Ezekiel Ibrahim, the President of the association, made the appeal while reacting to the restriction and detention of vehicles conveying eggs and day-old-chicks on Monday in Oyo State by junior security operatives leading to the death of chicks worth over N50 million.

Reacting to the development, Ibrahim told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja that the enormous loss was caused by an act of insubordination by junior security operatives to the command structure of government.

The president also alleged corrupt practices at the various boundaries in the federation.

He suggested for a mixed security arrangement to ensure effective policing at the checkpoints.

Ibrahim recommended the reconstitution to compose of the Police, Civil Defence, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Military, DSS, representatives from the traditional institution, commodities, manufacturers association and civil societies.

He emphasised that a comprehensive membership of those manning the checkpoints would ensure check and balance as well as minimise abuses and excesses of security operatives.

“Government have laid down rules and regulations explaining everything by exempting certain categories, more importantly, all essential goods and services like poultry products can move unhindered.

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“The directive is so clear but the junior security operatives who are to implement this directive geared toward COVID-19 containment accordingly, are violating the laid down rules and regulations or policy, they are becoming insubordinate to their command structure.

“Oftentimes they restrict the movement of vehicles conveying day-old-chicks due to compromise.

“Therefore, police should not be left alone at any checkpoint, there should be representatives from the traditional institution, civil defence, commodity association, civil societies and NOA.

“Traditional institution should be incorporated because anywhere in this country you have a traditional institution, people respect them more because they are closer to the masses. So, if these five groups of people are at the checkpoints, l believe it will minimise some of the abuses or corruption.

“We need to have check and balance; the representative from commodity or manufacturing association is for monitoring and evaluation to give the effectiveness to the smooth implementation of all these directives that the government has given.

“I am appealing to both the federal and state governments to reconstitute those at the checkpoints and allow commodity or manufacturers association representatives to be at the checkpoints to ensure the smooth passage of essential goods and services,” he urged. (NAN)