Review Policy on Export
by John Ofikhenua, Abuja, Chris Oji, Enugu, Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse, Blessing Olaifa

THE Southeast Amalgamated Markets Traders Association (SEAMATA) on Tuesday appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to allow only legitimate goods from Nigeria to leave the country.

The President also on Tuesday approved the deployment of drones, aircraft and geospatial technology for border monitoring.
SEAMATA represents traders from the Southeast doing business across the federation.

It wrote an open letter to President Buhari, signed by its President-General Chief Gozie Akudolu and Secretary-General Alex Okwudili.
The traders noted that prices of local food items had sky-rocketed beyond the reach of the average citizens.

It lamented that customers from neighbouring countries no longer come to Nigeria because their legitimate goods are lying at the borders.
SEAMATA said: “This sudden rise in the price of goods, especially staple foods, is a response to the economic laws of demand and supply. Once demand outnumbers supply, the price must increase.

“We know from our trading experience that the prices of other commodities like motor and motorcycle spare parts, toiletries, provision and other food and sundry items shall soonest witness price hikes.”

The group lamented that the lack of patronage was taking a toll on their ability to earn a living and provide for their families.
It said: “The very low business patronage of both industries and the line of distributive chain shall soon result in the laying-off of workers in all sectors.”

SEAMATA urged the President to consider re-opening the borders and “allow only legitimate goods from our markets to leave the country”.
It said: “We appeal to the President to look in the direction of the poor masses who are having hunger and starvation boldly starring them in the face.

“The situation is compounded by the flooding that had swept most of the farmlands.
“We also appeal to Mr President to put in place, as a matter of urgency, measures to checkmate these difficulties and return our fast-growing economy on track.

“We believe and trust the capacity and will-power of Mr President to alleviate the suffering of the masses and the hunger in the land.”
The deployment of drones to the borders, a source said, is to monitor the movement of illicit goods and persons.

The source said: “The President has just approved e-Customs. It encompasses the deployment of border management technology, which will incorporate the use of drones, aircraft and other geospatial technology to monitor our borders to ensure that any illicit movement of goods and persons do not take place. Once that is in place, we will not need walls to be erected.”

This is coming on the heels of the operation joint border patrol code-named EX-SWIFT RESPONSE, coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Comptroller-General Mohammed Babandede said the joint patrol has enhanced the ECOWAS protocol implementation.

He said: “If you don’t have a travelling document, we (immigration) cannot allow you to leave Nigeria. We have refused entry to 1,111 people. We have removed 728 people.
“We have arrested Pakistanis and North Koreans. Those people are supposed to be deported. We have deported around seven of them.”

He added that, with the border closure, banditry and kidnapping have been reduced.
But, former Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Chairman, Kaduna State Branch, Comrade Danladi Bissalla, faulted the border closure.
“When you close our borders, you are killing peoples’ businesses and creating unemployment and spreading poverty circles. The cost of living has gone up with the cost of foodstuff. A bag of rice is being sold now at N25,000.

“They are asking us to go for local rice. Where are they? If the local rice is everywhere and affordable, you don’t have to force it down the throat of Nigerians. They will go for it themselves.

“To worsen the situation, customs personnel have been breaking into peoples’ shops in Kaduna and across the country to impound loads of rice.

“These are products legitimately imported some months back. It is unfortunate. How can you be raiding car dealers’ shops for vehicles imported five to six years ago? It is outrageous and retrogressive.”

The joint border patrol team has intensified operations in Jigawa State.
It was learnt that a suspected rice smuggler was gunned down in Babura, the home town of Governor Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar.