By Amos Harris
The CEO and owner of FOUTA Corporation, Omaru Barry urges Liberians not to politicizing rice issues in Liberia, he was speaking to reporters recently in Monrovia at the Fouta Corporation on the Bushrod Island for the management to respond to the allegations of allegedly being engaged into selective sale, hoarding or hiking the price of rice from US$20 USD
He told journalists that Liberians are good people, “do not be used by politicians to damage your country for some personal interest”.
the marketers are accusing the importers of escalating the prices of the various brands of rice at their will and pleasure, with the government sitting supinely and doing nothing about the situation.
“These people can always decide when to sell rice to us knowing fully well that rice is the staple food of every Liberian.
We are calling on the president of the Republic of Liberia George M. Weah to come our recuse, because some importers hiding prize of rice on the Liberian market rice on a daily basis.
“We want the government to tell us whether the importers are the ones who have control or the final saying”.
The aggrieved rice dealers want government put in place stringent measures to curtail or prevent the hoarding or halt the arbitrary increment in the prices of the different kinds of rice on the local market.
“Why are they hiding the rice, they want kill us in this country and they know that we Liberians are surviving on rice.
I really want the government to act on this because that’s what we are selling to survive and for our children to go to school”, another protester stated.
She maintained: “The importers told us that they are coming to carry the rice price up, and we are willing to buy it at any price they carry it up to. They have enough rice in their warehouses but they don’t want to sell to us.
Today is my third day here and they have not served me”. “I been buying from Fouta for a very long time but, they want to carry the price of rice up to US$15.
All of them have the same plan and Fouta is the highest importer of rice in this country, but before their plan works.
Meanwhile, the local rice dealers have vowed to stage unannounced actions to destabilize the country if government fails to act.
They maintained that government should “speak now” to compel the importers of the nation’s staple food to stay in line with its designated prices for various varieties of rice, instead of hiking the prices by creating artificial shortage for their own benefits.
The violent protest staged by the aggrieved marketers paralyzed normal working and commercial activities in Vai Town and Clara Town communities for nearly the entire morning hours.
the Fouta Corporation on the Bushrod Island for the management to respond to the allegations of allegedly being engaged into selective sale, hoarding or hiking the price of rice from US$13 to US$15.
We will block the main entrances of two major rice importers – K&K, Fouta Corporation in Vai Town-accusing the owners of allegedly hoarding and creating an artificial shortage of the commodity on the market.
they also claimed that the importers are reportedly planning to increase the price of a bag of 25kg rice from US$15 to US$20 in the midst of extreme hardship and poverty in Liberia.
K and K Trading Company belongs to top Lebanese business tycoon George Haddad, Fouta Corporation is being owned and operated by Mr. Cherif Abdallah, the two companies are among the highest importers of rice in the country.
Also speaking to Reporters in Vai town she warned against the politicizing rice issues in the country’s staple food for political gains, she claimed that there is no rice shortage in the country as evidenced by the stockpile of rice spotted at various warehouses at the Freeport, and as such, citizens, especially politicians should desist from stirring up issues to create panic among the citizenry.
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