Freight
forwarders in Nigeria have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to review the partial
land border closure across the country recently initiated to strengthen the
nation’s security and protect its economic interests.
The
Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANCLA), Seme Border Chapter
Chairman, Alhaji Bisiriyu Fanu, made the appeal in an interview with reporters
at Seme.
According
to him, 735 trucks loaded with perishable goods are stranded at the Seme border
because of the closure, noted that each
of the stranded trucks was carrying over N20 million worth of goods, which
amounted to billions of naira wasting at the border.
Fanu
said: “Some of these goods are perishable and have expiry date. If the expiry
date should be closer, nobody will buy them. The importers are not aware of the
government policy of border closure and their goods are not illegal. As at now,
we have at the park, 403 trucks of goods, while there are 332 trucks right
inside the border post, totalling 735. These are trucks with varieties of goods
coming into the country. We are begging the government to create a platform for
joint examination of goods inside these trucks at the border posts, not only at
Seme, but also throughout the land borders in Nigeria.
“Security
operatives should be involved to check the trucks and they should make sure
that any truck with genuine documents should be allowed into the country.
“This
will enable importers that borrowed money at banks for this business to repay
the loan so that debit interest will not throw them out of business.
“Most
of the traders who imported the goods are frustrated. The Federal Government
should act now before the losses they have incurred send them to early graves.”
He
however said the freight forwarders supported the government’s action by
closing the land borders for security and sustenance of the economy.
The
chairman therefore appealed to the government to allow goods with genuine
documents to pass, as they allowed people with valid passports and ECOWAS
documents to pass through the border posts.
He
said: “Innocent Nigerians and genuine traders that have their goods at the
border post for 34 days at the border are suffering. We are appealing to the
government to free the trucks so that the importers will have access to their
goods. We are begging the government to release the trailers so that the people
that borrowed money from banks will be able to pay back the loan and still
remain in business.”
The
Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali, had during a meeting with
border stakeholders, comprising freight forwarders and security agencies at
Seme said the closure of Nigeria’s borders by the Federal Government was done
to strengthen the nation’s security and protect its economic interests.
The
Seme border, along with other land borders, was shut by the Federal Government
on August 20 for a joint military exercise to curtail the smuggling of
contraband items into Nigeria.
About the Blogger: Valuehandlers is a Supply Chain Management Company Specializes in Air & Sea Freight Shipping, Customs clearing & cargo Servicing from and to 80 countries.
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