Border closure: When ‘Big-Brother’ shut the door Importers, traders groan

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Border closure: When ‘Big-Brother’ shut the door Importers, traders groan

The Nigerian government recently imposed restrictions along its borders in the South-South, South-West, North-Central and North-West regions, thereby imposing far-reaching consequences on sub-regional trade, writes TOLA ADENUBI. Excerpts:

ON the 20th of August, the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) issued a statement announcing the imposition of restrictions along particular sections of the nation’s border post. The operation code-named EX-SWIFT RESPONSE is a joint security exercise being coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in four geo-political zones, namely; South-South, South-West, North-Central and North-West.

According to the government, the exercise is expected to promote interagency cooperation and increase preparedness to address trans-border security challenges such as terrorism, armed banditry, smuggling, proliferation of small arms and light weapons, amongst others. The exercise will also involve the movement of personnel, vehicles and equipment within the affected parts of the country, the statement added.

Almost two weeks after the border restrictions, investigations by Sunday Tribune revealed that the policy is threatening to cripple the economies of Benin Republic and Niger despite the allowance made for those with legitimate claims by the Nigerian joint security operatives to move across the borders.

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Uncooperative neighbours

Amid the hues and cries over the border closure and its implications of for trade activities, more facts have, however, shown that the disposition of neighbouring countries to Nigerian government policies is the major reason behind the border restriction policy.

According to investigations, Nigerian government policies, such as the ban on rice importation through the land borders, have been undermined by the West African neighbours. Disclosing this to Sunday Tribune on the condition of anonymity, a source in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) revealed that lack of respect for Nigeria’s trade policies was the major reason behind the border closure policy.

“Have you taken a closer look at the location of borders where this restriction policy where imposed? Why didn’t Nigeria list the South-East or North-East among the borders under restrictions? If you take a closer look, you will discover that the borders affected are those adjoining countries that have hugely disrespected Nigeria’s trade policies.

“Despite the ban on rice importation through the land borders, these countries continue to smuggle the commodity into Nigeria in shiploads. Despite the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) impounding shiploads of banned rice at various border areas, somehow, the commodity still find their way into local markets in Nigeria.

“From the seizures declared by Customs, it was observed that the commodities were coming in through the aforementioned border routes, thereby implying that the governments of these countries are not doing enough to respect government policies here in Nigeria. And the reasons are not far to seek: these countries are making huge gains at the expense of Nigeria’s Big Brother role in the West African sub-region.

“If these countries are not benefiting from these shiploads of banned products into Nigeria, then they would have respected the decision of the Nigerian government and nipped the menace of rice smuggling right in their own territory. But rather than do that, the act of rice smuggling in these countries is being encouraged. In fact, rice smugglers are celebrated in these countries because they help in making huge revenue for the governments of these countries at the expense of Nigeria’s trade policies.

“It is instructive to note that virtually all the bags of parboiled rice imported into the Republic of Benin are smuggled into Nigerian market through unapproved routes. So hope you understand the rationale behind the total closure to trade across these listed borders by the Nigerian government” our source explained exclusively to the Sunday Tribune.

When reminded that the partial closure has led to cargoes being trapped along the borders between Nigeria and the affected countries, the source explained that: “The so called cargoes trapped in Benin Republic or Niger due to the border restrictions policy of Nigeria, were they manufactured there? The answer is no.

“What is the law on transit protocol? The law on transit protocol says: when a good or cargo is transiting from country A to country B, after country A collects all taxes required on such cargo or goods, country A is to escort that cargo or goods to the border of country B which is the destination country.

“This means that country A is not expected to break the seal of such cargo. But what happens is that whenever cargoes come to Cotonou, these people will break the seal, trans-load its contents into trucks.

“The question is: who knows the contents of the containers whose seals had already been broken? Who knows if these people, after breaking the container’s seal, trans-load the non-dangerous contents into trucks and bring to Nigerian borders, while trans-loading the dangerous contents of such containers into another truck for onward smuggling into Nigeria.

“By right, these cargoes ought not to have been broken into. These cargoes ought to have been escorted to the Nigerian border side; but over the years, Nigeria has been playing the big brother role, thereby softening her stances in the face of these anomalies.

“There was a time we complained, and entered into MoU with them severally, but they will not keep their side of the MoU. There was a time they lamented that they lack vehicles to escort cargoes to our borders, and Nigeria, through the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), gave them about ten brand new Hilux vehicles. They complied for about two weeks and after some time, went back to their old ways of breaking container seals and trans-loading their contents into trucks.

“These illegalities are not peculiar to Seme alone; have you been to Jibya border? Have you been to Kamba, Gusau and other borders adjoining Niger Republic? These things happen there. That is why the borders have been shut for trade for now.”

When contacted, the spokesman of both Ex-Swift Response and the NCS, DC Joseph Attah explained that the exercise is meant to ensure a safer border.

“The exercise has been put in place to ensure a safe border, because a safe border means a safe nation. For all those affected by the exercise, with time, they will eventually realise that it pays to do the right thing,” DC Attah stated.

Millions of goods trapped

With Operation Ex-Swift Response now its second week, countries along the affected border lines are already counting their losses. For rice importers in Benin Republic and Niger, the economic loss has been huge.

Investigations further revealed that the situation appears bad for the rice importers in Benin Republic and Niger as their distribution has been worst hit by the border restriction policy of Nigeria.  With the trade shut-out at Nigerian borders, there are currently no markets to sell the parboiled rice in Nigeria.

Findings revealed that some shiploads of bulk rice cargoes that had arrived some Benin Republic port terminals are still waiting to be discharged because the already discharged ones are yet to be moved into Nigeria from the warehouses.

In the words of a trader at the Seme side of Benin Republic, Hajia Wasila Ahmed, “The warehouses are filled to the brim with rice waiting for evacuation by distributors who had deposited money from Nigeria and other parts of the country, particular the north, including Niger.

“Many commodities meant for export are getting damaged due to the closure. The warehouses are filled to the brim, even the new arrivals cannot discharge at the ports because we have not been able to move out the ones in the warehouses.”

Crippling Implications at Home

Back home, business owners that thrive on activities at the borders are currently in a quagmire due to the trade-shut out. Funsho Keshinro, a food canteen operator, told Sunday Tribune that “I have had to reduce what I prepare for sale because the borders have suddenly become a ghost town.

“Prior to the closure, I made close to N50,000 on a daily basis. Now I cannot even make N2,000 because all my customers are not coming to the border due to the inactivity here. Business has suffered due to the closure thing, and we hope government can help to reduce the number of days to restore sanity because Nigerians are also suffering from the policy.”

For a clearing agent, Chibuzor Anosike, “no trade means, no business. For two weeks now, I have been spending money and not making money as there are no cargoes to clear. All the cargoes are trapped in the border closure, meaning at times, I come to Seme and return home having not made a kobo. I pray I don’t run out of cash before the Federal Government deems it fit to suspend this madness.”

When Sunday Tribune visited the Seme border during the week, the usually busy land border was in a shadow of itself. Very few people around were seen standing and discussing in groups while trucks carrying containers remained parked and already dusty due to inactivity in the area.

Movements at the borders have been restricted to just human movement but with valid means of identification. A valid ID card or an international passport are the only documents recognised by operatives of the Ex-Swift Response team stationed at strategic points around the border, if anyone must move around.

Border closure: When ‘Big-Brother’ shut the door Importers, traders groan
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