- We Are Fooling Ourselves-Legislators
By Kolawole Ojebisi
A Joint Committee of the National Assembly has said that thinking that the borders of the country are shut is tantamount to living in a fool’s paradise considering the sheer amount of commodities that get smuggled in on a daily basis.
The lawmakers stressed border closure against smuggling is a measure that has failed to fulfil its purpose.
The joint panel of the house of representatives and senate committees on trade and industries took the position on Friday when Jumoke Oduwole, minister of trade, appeared before it to defend the 2025 budget proposal of her ministry.
Recall that in August 2019, the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari closed the country’s land borders to stop the illegal importation of drugs, arms and agricultural products into Nigeria from neighbouring West African countries.
In December 2020, Buhari ordered the reopening of four land borders. However, the borders are still closed.
Fatima Talba, the lawmaker representing Nangero/ Potiskum federal constituency of Yobe in the house, said the borders were never closed.
“Going by free movement of people and even criminals across the borders, it is time for us to stop fooling ourselves with border closure,” Talba said.
On his part, Francis Fadaunsi, chair of the senate committee on industry, said the border closure policy is adversely affecting the economy.
“For example, on rice production alone, the largest percentage of the 4 million tonnes shortfall is being smuggled into the country since local producers are only producing 3 million tonnes out of the expected consumption rate of 7 million tonnes,” he said.
Paul Kalejaiye, the lawmaker representing Ajeromi /Ifelodun federal constituency of Lagos in the house, said the implementation of the closed border policy needs to be explained.
“Are all borders across the nation closed or those closed are from a segment of the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, Oduwole said N3.8 billion was earmarked for capital expenditure in her ministry’s 2025 budget proposal.
She said N4.65 billion was allocated for personnel cost and N1.45 billion was fixed for overhead, adding that her ministry’s projected revenue is N2.4 billion.
