Officials of government agencies operating at the Seme border have raised alarm over presence of multiple checkpoints along the ever busy Lagos- Seme trans-border route, saying that it is a barrier to trade within West Africa.
The government agents also alleged that most of the illicit checkpoints belong to chiefs and traditional rulers of various communities along the route and called on the Federal Government to sensitize the leaders of the various communities on the need to reduce or totally eradicate the checkpoints on the road leading to the strategic border.
Officials of government agencies operating at the Seme border have raised alarm over presence of multiple checkpoints along the ever busy Lagos- Seme trans-border route, saying that it is a barrier to trade within West Africa.
The government agents also alleged that most of the illicit checkpoints belong to chiefs and traditional rulers of various communities along the route and called on the Federal Government to sensitize the leaders of the various communities on the need to reduce or totally eradicate the checkpoints on the road leading to the strategic border.
Speaking at a two- day stakeholder’s sensitization workshop on cross border trade, put together by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in collaboration with the United State Agency for International Development (USAID), Assistant Comptroller of Immigration, Mr Nurudeen Mohammed lamented that most of the checkpoints are not for security agencies of government and that it is the representatives of the traditional rulers that put up such checks.
According to him, a total of 16 check points are located between Seme border and Mile 2 in Lagos, he added that 10 of them belong to the traditional leaders of communities bordering the highway.
Mohammed noted that the illicit checkpoints have also led to delay in trade facilitation within the West Africa sub region.
On his part, Deputy Comptroller, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Seme Command; Mr. Effiong Sunday Asanga noted that reduction of the checkpoints along the axis will bring about easy flow of legitimate goods from neighbouring countries within the West Africa region.
The comptroller urged the USAID delegate and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to provide a platform whereby the villagers can be enlightened through awareness campaign programmes.
Apart from the seaports and airports, the NAQS boss added that agricultural pests are prohibited from entering into Nigeria through the landed border.
He also urged the legal agencies of government at the checkpoints at the Seme end of the expressway to check and arrest any agricultural product without legal document.
He advised both USAID and Shippers’ Council that:‘’it is my humble advice that since it is a fact that it is not all the checkpoints that are being manned by security agencies, the villagers are there as well, I will advice that you get in touch with the bales and invite them to a forum where you can sensitize them, tell them the need for a free flow movement of vehicles ,people, goods and services ‘’. ‘’I think when you do that it will help in trade border trade’’, he suggested.
Similarly, an officer from the Nigeria Police Force who is based at the border also reiterated that the multiple checkpoints along the Seme – Badagry route is an inhibition to trade facilitation.
The Police officer who identified himself as Ohonba Ogedengbe noted that plans have commenced by both the Customs and the Police to descend on the illegal checks.
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