Harboursandport.com: Lagos - President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the extension of the operations
of the joint border military exercise code-named Exercise Swift Response to
January 31st, 2020.
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| Intending travellers standing at seme border |
Following the development, immediate past National President of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Prince Olayewola Shittu, said that the federal government has not told Nigerians what the advantages of the first phase of the exercise were to the citizens, as well as the economy.
The President had in August directed the partial closure of the border from August 20 for one month but with was later further extended indefinitely until the latest directive.
The President had in August directed the partial closure of the border from August 20 for one month but with was later further extended indefinitely until the latest directive.
The decision by government has elicited mixed reactions from Nigerians
and neighbouring countries, as well as dashing the hopes of entrepreneurs in
the West African region who were hoping that the Nigerian government will end
the military exercise before Christmas.
In a circular dated November 1, 2019, (NCS/ENF/ABJ/221/S.45) and signed
by the Comptroller of Customs in charge of enforcement, Victor David Dimka, to
the Sector Coordinators, joint border operations drill (Exercise Swift
Response), Sectors 1, 2, 3 & 4, directed them to note the new development
and comply accordingly.
Spokesman of the Customs, Deputy Controller Joseph Attah said that the
new directive is referring to the end of this phase of the joint security Ex
Swift Response and not a terminal date for the partial border
closure.
Attah further noted that security operations of this nature are usually
in phases, stating that the partial closure will continue until government’s
objectives of setting of the partial border closure are achieved.
According to him, “Please note that the internal memo is referring to
the end of this phase of the joint security Ex Swift Response and not a
terminal date for the partial border closure.
“Security operation of this kind is usually in phases,” he noted.
The partial border closure
will continue until the set objectives are achieved.
Shittu queried government on what measures have
been taken to ensure that the reason or reasons for the closure will be effectively
addressed when the border is reopened.
The former ANLCA boss noted that no matter what
government do; the countries around the nation’s borders will continue doing
what they were doing because their economic survival depends on the Nigerian
market.
Similarly, Chairman of Seme
Border Chapter of ANLCA, Bisiriyu Fanu, said they are not boarded whether the
border is closed indefinitely or completely but that government should consider
Nigerian bound cargoes for which duties have been paid to the Nigerian
government, trapped at the Benin Republic end of the border.
Fanu said apart from the
fear that most of these goods may go bad, the latest is that people are now
going there to vandalise these goods. He noted that in the long run, it is the
Nigerian economy that is losing.
He said unless the
government takes a second look that the situation of these importers, a lot of
them may end up dead because of the interest on the loans that they took to
ship in those goods.
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