Abuja (Precise Post) – Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col Hameed Ali (rtd), yesterday, declared that there was no definitive end to the closure of land borders by the Federal Government until ECOWAS protocols of movement of goods and persons are strictly adhered to.
Ali spoke amid complaints by some senators who opposed the continued closure of the land borders and asked the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to reconsider its stance on the policy.
Precise Post recalls that the former minister of interior, Senator Abba Moro and some other Senators most of whom are PDP members had at plenary enumerated the demerits of the boarder closure and urged the executive to reconsider its decision on the border closure.
Speaking with reporters during his operational visit to Idiroko border in Ogun State, the Customs boss said the border closure in Nigeria would last until the protocols on movement of goods and persons as established by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) were strictly adhered to.
Ali, who was accompanied by the Controller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, pointed out that the border closure was never intended to be in force within 28 days.
He commended the joint security operatives deployed for the enforcement of the policy, adding that Buhari himself was satisfied with their operations.
According to him, the government’s efforts to curb smuggling in the country were yielding positive results.
Ali stated that his visit was aimed at getting feedbacks over the successes and challenges of the border closure.
He said: “We are touring the operations sectors. As you know, we are doing an operation called ‘border drill’ and as a result of that, we have deployed our men in most of these commands.
“There are three reasons why we go round. First is to convey Mr. President’s commendation to our troops and personnel that have been deployed to carry out those drills.
“Second is to further explain to them the reasons why we are doing this drill and third is to get feedback on the ground as to the successes and challenges.
“It was never meant to end at the end of the 28th day. As for planning purposes, we take it step by step. Phase one was when we put 28 days. The border drill has no definitive end, but what we believe we want is that we want to establish relationship with our neighbours and this relationship is mutual coexistence.
“And unless we get to that point, where we now sit down and agree on the way we can complement one another, the way we can adhere to the protocols of movement of goods and persons, we would not have achieved.
“So, we will keep this drill going on until we get to the point where we now sit down and agree on the basic things that will mutually benefit us and mutually enhance our coexistence and ensure that the protocols established by ECOWAS, not by Nigeria, are adhered to strictly.”
Asked for his comments on the concerns expressed by some members of the Senate, Ali responded that the entire upper legislative chamber had resolved to back Buhari’s directive on the nation’s land borders.
“Of course, there will be Senators who complained and they brought their reasons forward. But at the end of the day, the decision was that they are in support of Mr. President in this operation,” he said.
The comptroller-general, who also addressed business owners and stakeholders along the Nigeria-Benin Republic border, said the ongoing border closure was in the best interest of the country and its citizens.
He added that the policy was to check proliferation of arms, importation of contrabands and other illegal activities by unscrupulous elements, using the nation’s land borders.
