· Land borders remained shut to vehicles, rice – Customs
Oluyinka Onigbinde
Following last weekend’s reopening of the remaining land borders that were closed since August 2019, clearing agents operating at the Idiroko border including those operating at the Seme border have counted their losses since the closure.
Recall that the Federal Government recently approved the opening of four additional land borders, which include: Idiroko in Ogun state, Jibya in Katsina State, Kamba in Kebbi state and Ikom in Cross Rivers.
However, counting their losses since the closure of the borders, clearing agents operating at the Idiroko and Seme borders informed our correspondent that over 24 clearing agents have lost their lives as a result of the closure.
They disclosed that many of their colleagues died as a result of health challenges such as high blood pressure owing to accumulated debts and unpaid loans taken from banks.
The clearing agents lamented that trillions of naira were lost to the closure of the borders, adding that the loss cannot be adequately quantified due to lives that were lost.
In a chat with our correspondent, the chairman of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) at Idiroko, Mr Uche Nwabude, noted that some clearing agents at the Idiroko border died due to frustration and pressure from banks, while also noting that trillions of naira that would have been accrued into the federal government coffers through payment of customs duties have been lost. This, he said is apart from goods worth billions of naira that were destroyed due to the closure.
He said: “The Federal Government in their own wisdom closed the border due to insecurity, now that they believed that the issue of insecurity is being curtailed, they decided to open the borders, of course, you should know that we recorded so many losses, some of our members lost their lives, some lost their livelihood, but the good news is that the border is opened now and we can go back to business.
“We should also not forget that the federal government also lost revenue running into trillions of naira that would have been accumulated through payment of customs duty”.
“And some clearing agents here at Idiroko died as a result of so many factors, some died out of frustration, some died out of pressure from banks, some died because the means of their livelihood has been taken”, he said.
Speaking also, a clearing agent at Idiroko Mr Muyiwa Adesina, said specifically that more than 24 clearing agents have died in the last two years, particularly at Idiroko and Seme land borders,
“Over 24 clearing agents died at both Idiroko and Seme that I know and some that I heard, it’s so pathetic because these people died as a result of accumulated interest on loans taken from banks
“So you ask yourself, what have they (government) gained from closing the borders, it is pathetic; we are however thanking God that at last, they’ve opened them”, he added.
Read Also: Hope Rises For Badagry Deep Seaport As ICRC Presents Compliance Certificate To Amaechi
On his part, Mr Bisiriyu Fanu, factional chairman Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Seme border, opined that opening the borders will encourage competition and easy access for importers to decide where they intend to import from.
He told our correspondent that: “Now that the borders are opened, the people living in the border areas don’t need to hide through the bush with their vehicles to enter Nigeria any longer.
“They will pass through the border having easy access in and out. This was not there before when the border was closed. Now that the border is opened, easy access is there. It also gives room for importers to decide where to import through”.
However, in an exclusive chat with our correspondent the National Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr Timi Bomodi, explained that, despite the reopening of the borders, foreign used vehicles and parboiled rice are not allowed through the land borders.
According to him, the only legitimate border for foreign used and new vehicles to come into Nigeria is the seaports, while foreign parboiled rice is outrightly banned from coming into the country, either through the nation’s seaports or land borders.
“Cars can only be imported through the ports, while rice cannot come in at all,” Bomodi, a Deputy Comptroller of Customs said.
Kindly like us on Facebook
