By Clifford Amuzuo
A trade expert, Mr John Isemede has called on the Federal Government to reconsider its stands on the continued closure of the nation’s borders stressing that the border closure policy which has been on since last year was no longer in the economic interest of the country.
Isewede who made the call recently while appearing as guest on an online media interactive program observed also that it was imperative for government to reconsider the decision and reopen the borders in view of present economic realities.
According to the trade expert, the border closure policy runs contrary to the ECOWAS treaty which Nigeria entered into way back in 1975, and being host to ECOWAS secretariat which is situated in Abuja, the country was not acting as a responsible host by continued closure of its borders.
Asserting that the call to reopen the borders is consistent with earlier demands made by the organized private sector (OPS), Isemede further reasoned that the ECOWAS treaty under its present protocol was tilting towards a Customs Union, free market and African Free Trade agreement which Nigeria ratified and to that extent the continued border closure amounted to a breach of the trade agreement.
He argued that although the objective of the border closure was to curb smuggling and cross border criminalities, the benefits of the closure as it stands had been overtaken by current realities hence it was expedient on the government to reopen the borders.
“First and foremost let me appeal to Mr President and this is my second time. When the border was closed a year ago, I came up and toed the position of the organized private sector that the presidents should reconsider reopening the borders”
“The private sector has equally lend their voice to what I have said and again I’m appealing to Mr President and the National Assembly for two major reasons. We are the landlord and the hosts of the ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja. From 1975 to the present day we are talking of 45 years, because of issues like this we have not really being the landlord of the ECOWAS”
“If you look at ECOWAS agreement been based on its present protocols, ECOWAS is now moving towards what we call the customs union and under the agreement we have signed to free trade area, common external tariff, and free market now will dovetail into the African continental free trade which we have singed into”
He added that the continental free trade office was recently opened in Ghana hence Nigeria could not continue to close her borders against the initiative especially considering that presently the country does not have a national carrier.
