by 
*Say over 1,400 trucks of perishable goods stranded
Two members of House of
Representatives yesterday appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to reopen the
land borders for the people. The members, Honourables Mohammed Kazaure
representing Kazaure/Roni Federal Constituency of Jigawa State and Sam Onuigbo
representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North and South Federal Constituency of Abia made
the appeal in separate briefings in Abuja.
Briefing Journalists, Kazaure said that a lot
of goods belongings to Nigerians arriving the country before the closure of the
borders had been trapped at the borders. He said that most of the goods
imported with loans were perishable, stressing that the owners would lose
significantly. He said: “I am appealing to the federal government to open the
borders. Most of the people already have goods on the sea unfortunately, the
government didn’t give them notice. “I, 400 trucks with people’s goods and some
of the goods there can easily spoil. They imported. Never expected to bother
closure. Some of them collected loans in the bank. I am calling the attention
of the President to allow the customs to open the border even if it is
temporary for the people. “They are the people who voted for us. “Some of us
are regretting whey they voted for us. Some of the businessmen. I am calling on
the president to open the border to the people. Some of the goods are not
contraband. They are durable. “They voted for us. Whatever that is worrying
them is our responsibility.” On his own, Hon. Onuigbo while commending the
federal government for closing the borders to checkmate crimes and smuggling,
however, said that genuine concerns of the people shouldn’t be ignored. “No
nation runs with porous borders because that why you talk about the territorial
integrity of a nation. And when you talk about the territorial integrity of a
nation, you are just stating quite clearly that entry into your country and
exit must be monitored and therefore the federal government in its wisdom just
found out that some things needed to be brought under control. And I think
that’s what informed the closure of the border. “However, you have to juxtapose
that against the impact that is having on the individuals, like Nigerians who
are living around the border area so that you try to ameliorate a little bit of
the hardship they are going through now. “Government does not close ears to the
genuine concerns of its citizens. So, it is against that background that we say
you can now open the border just within those areas and allow them to access
some things. “But also, I expect that by now, the government would have
dictated some of those loopholes that they need to plug at the borders so that
life can also, to an appreciable extent return to normalcy,” he said.
Source: By Levinus Nwabughiogu (Vanguard)
