The last may not have been heard of the border closure which has pitted Nigeria against its West African neighbours. Now, a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has carpeted the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS); Hameed Ali over the development.
President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the border closure in August; a move the Presidency considers essential in order to rein in smuggling of food items as well as encourage local production. Furthermore, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo had described the move as necessary. Stating the reason for the continued border closure; Osinbajo said; “We want our neighbouring countries to begin to take us very, very serious.”
Additionally, he reiterated the need to curb smuggling and encourage local farmers; as well as get the attention of neighbouring countries to take border control more seriously.
“Part of the reasons for shutting the border is the smuggling that has been going on. If we continue to allow the Chinese and others to continue to bring in all those things; we will kill farming completely and most of our people will not be employed,” he said.
Nevertheless, the Presidency’s rationale for the border closure has not gone down well with Fani-Kayode. However, he had directed his ire at Ali, the Customs boss. Specifically, Fani-Kayode had taken issues with a statement credited to Ali.
Continuing, the former Special Assistant (Public Affairs) to President Olusegun Obasanjo described the border closure as a sham.
Equally important, Fani Kayode described the development as ill-conceived and unfair to Nigeria’s neighbours.
Furthermore, he lampooned the argument that the border closure would boost Nigeria’s economy. In a series of tweets, the controversial politician argued that the move will deny Nigeria access to lucrative foreign markets.
In addition, he described border closure as an alien concept in a globalised world.
He wrote;
“…Has protectionism and closing your borders ever boosted a nation’s economy? China’s strength lies in her willingness to TRADE with the outside world and in the size of her population and market. The fact that most of the world has access to that market has made her very rich.
“If she closed her borders today she would be denied access to lucrative foreign markets across the world herself where she exports her products and she would lose all her wealth within 10 years and become weak, poor and isolated. No-one closes borders in a globalized world,” he submitted.
…If she closed her borders today she would be denied access to lucrative foreign markets across the world herself where she exports her products and she would lose all her wealth within 10 years and become weak, poor and isolated. No-one closes borders in a globalised world.
-Oyin Princess