Police, Custom officials in Bawku impound bags of fertilizers being smuggled to Togo

16-07-2011
Narration: Police and Custom officials have impounded a Nigerian heavy duty truck carrying 695 bags of subsidized government fertilizers at Misiga, a suburb in the Bawku Municipality of the Upper East Region. The vehicle with registration number XD 148 LSD was intercepted last Thursday after the driver of the vehicle failed to produce valid documentation covering the suspected goods. A Senior Collector at the Misiga check point, Theophilus Ahunu Okine, who confirmed the incident to Radio Ghana estimated the cost of the seized fertilizers at GHC 20, 850 and said his outfit is yet to determine the owner of the vehicle whilst investigations are ongoing. He identified the type of the fertilizers as UREA 46 percentage Nitrate and NPK 15 15 15. Here is a report by correspondent Isaac Asare.


CUE IN
END CUE
ANCR V/O




Report


Mr. Okine said vehicle was en route from Bolgatanga heading towards neighbouring Togo when it was intercepted. The seizure of the items, he indicated is based on suspicion that the vehicle was carrying contraband goods. This was after the driver failed to produce the required documentation to prove covering the fertilizer. He said the driver sensing danger feign stopping BUT SPED OFF and was subsequently given a chase by custom officials and the military patrol team to Pusiga, where he was arrested and brought back to Misiga to answer further questions. The truck is currently under detention at the check point and would be forwarded to the Bolgatanga Divisional headquarters for further investigations. Mr. Okine expressed his outfit’s preparedness to apprehend any individual involved in the sale of smuggled fertilizers and called on the public to expose and volunteer information leading to the arrest of perpetrators who, he described as saboteurs. He said the police are doing everything humanly possible to bring the driver and the owner of the vehicle to book. The Bawku Municipal Chief Executive, Musa Abdullai, who led the team of media personnel to the site, commended the security agencies for their sense of patriotism and encouraged them to exhibit more of such professionalism for others to emulate. He mentioned the number of seized fertilizers so far as 1,050. He cited a similar incident at Garu Tempane- District a couple of weeks ago, where a Kia truck loaded with 170 bags of fertilizers was also intercepted upon a tip off. The phenomenon, he noted, is becoming rampant and called on the security agencies to intensify their efforts to help clamp down on such miscreants. Mr. Abdullai said the Municipal Security Council (MUSEC will now get itself directly involve in the sale of fertilizers to farmers and has also placed a temporarily ban on the loading and movement of vehicles carrying fertilizers at night. Additionally, MUSEC will mount constant surveillance checks at the various unapproved routes to help check the menace. Mr. Abdullai also used the opportunity to call on government to formally open up the illegal route to Togo so that the smuggling of goods and services could be checked with ease. He said the assembly will not relent on its effort in the fight against the menace as it is gradually becoming an impediment on government’s fertilizer subsidy for poor farmers.

END