By Olusegun Folarin

Key players in the cashew industry in Ogun State have raised the alarm over incessant harassment and extortion of merchants of the produce at illegal checkpoints and road blocks mounted by security operatives and other government agents on major roads in the state.

The stakeholders, under the aegis of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria, NCAN, Ogun State Chapter disclosed this in Abeokuta at a news conference addressed by their Consultant on Special Duties, Chief Taiwo Akinlabi.

Chief Akinlabi described the development as a serious threat to members’ operations and efforts to contribute to the present administration’s agenda of strengthening the economy through Agriculture and implored the relevant authorities to stop the harassment and extortion, to avoid chaos.

He pointed out that members were usually forced to pay about 650 thousand naira for moving 30 tons of cashew from Ilara in Imeko Afon Local Government Area of the state through Abeokuta, the state capital to any warehouse in Lagos State due to multiple checkpoints and roadblocks mounted by both uniformed and officers on mufti.

The NCAN spokesman maintained that 43 road blocks were created along the Ilara-Imeko-Obada-Olorunda- Ayetoro-Abeokuta Rounder road alone, giving the breakdown as 15 checkpoints for the Police, 3 for the Nigerian Army, 19 for the Nigerian Customs, 2 for the Nigerian Immigration and another 2 erected by the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service.

Earlier, the state Chairman of the Association, Alhaji Abdulganiu Adeniji who affirmed the claim that members were being forced to pay different amounts ranging from 10,000 to 50,000 naira per truck at every roadblock had also appealed to the authorities to urgently address the situation.

Also, the Public Relations Officer of the Association, Mr Oluseye Olugbenro, said the interaction with Journalists became necessary when several attempts to get the needed intervention from the relevant quarters had failed and expressed the hope that the move would yield positive results in the interest of members.