10/09/2008 (Leadership Nigeria) - The Coalition Against Import Duty Fraud (CAIDF), a Lagos based non-governmental organisation, has thrown its weight behind the Association of Oil Producers of Nigeria's move to stop some powerful elements in the country from frustrating Federal Government's policy of protecting local palm oil industries.

In a statement issued yesterday by the general secretary of the organisation, Chief Emeka Okeke, the group strongly condemned the unpatriotic attitude of some Nigerians whose passion is to circumvent the current ban on palm oil importation by bringing the product into the country through some other means.

According to the recent media report, the Association of Oil Palm Producers of Nigeria has already sent a petition to the office of secretary to the federal government on the need for the Nigeria Customs Services to be vigilant on the expected arrival of a ship load of palm oil on its way from Malaysia to Nigeria, but currently intercepted in Mali by pirates.

CAIDF, which has a strong interest in promoting transparency in the implementation of government's policy as it concerns import would want the FG to take the petition seriously and go a step further to identify the brains behind the attempt to scuttle the current policy on importation of palm oil.

The statement said that the group would also want the government to investigate the alleged collusion by some top government officials and foreign companies operating in the country to pressure government into lifting the ban on palm oil importation, stressing that the Minister for Commerce, Engr. Charles Ugwu, may not be exonerated from the plot.