Rights group writes President Buhari ,calling for opening of Nigeria boarders
A human rights group in Nigeria, the Centre for Human Rights and
Social Justice (CHRSJ) has written a strong worded letter to President
Muhammadu Buhari, urging the President to open the Nigeria boarders
for the importation of banned foreign goods to the country in order to
ameliorate the suffering being faced by the Nigeria masses in
acquiring those goods for use.
The group also disclosed that the call became imperative by x-raying
how the men of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and smugglers were
connived together to beat the Federal Government Special Task Force on
ban importation of goods, thereby making the purported banned products
to litter the Nigeria market presently.
It further alleged that the men of Nigeria customs along Idiroko and
Shaki axis of Ogun and Oyo States were in the habit of supervising and
monitoring how the smugglers would have smooth activities on their
illegal business by opening their mini boarders in the night around
the known national borders, describing the actions of the Customs
official as sabotaging, satanic, evil, illegal, aberration,
abomination, unacceptable and as well contrary to the policy directive
of Change Manta, President Muhamamdu Buhari that “Change begins with
me”.
In a Letter dated Monday April 10th, 2017 and signed by the CHRSJ’s
Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman and forwarded to
President Buhari ,National Assembly leadership and Minister of
Interior, which a copy was made available to Journalists on Sunday,
explained that all the actions of the affected Customs officials along
the aforementioned axis were contrary to sections of 15(5) and 98 and
99 of the amended 1999 Constitution and criminal code of the Law of
the Federation respectively.
The Letter read thus; “As a stakeholders in Nigeria projects, to
report the satanic activities of the men of Nigeria Customs Service
(NCS) along our boarders, in particular, Idiroko and Shaki axis of
Ogun and Oyo States respectively where all Customs officials connived
with the smugglers to smuggle all banned goods to the shore of the
country without caution and with impunity.
“Although, we see your government banned of importation of goods,
especially, the food items, as a way to promote locally produced goods
and as well developed our local industries but all these efforts are
being thwarted and jeopardized by the men of Nigeria Customs Service
(NCS) because it shows clearly that they are not in the same page with
Mr. President on the subject matter.
“We are perplexed with what we saw recently during our working private
investigation visit to the Owode-Yewa to Idiroko axis of Ogun State
where CHRSJ team discovered the connivance of the Customs officers
with smugglers and it may be difficult for government to tame this
occurrence in our borders. The Idiroko axis comprises of
Sango,Ota,Oju-Ore,Atan,Ihunbo,Owode-yewa,Ilase,Ogosa,Ajegunle,Ipokia,Ijofin,Agosasa.Others
are; Ijofin, Beebe, Tuube ,Ibatefin, Oke-Odan, Oko-eye, Igolo and
Ajilete. While that of Shaki axis comprises of Igbeti, Kisi, Igboho,
Ago-Amodu and Shaki. These are the communities where they are
perpetrating their evil and satanic acts at the detriment of the
masses”.
It stressed that the Federal government was just paying mere lip
service to the policy of banning the importation of foreign goods to
the country which the men of Nigeria Customs were living larger than
life as they have occupied all the hotels along the axis permanently
by turning the hotel to their second office, adding that the Customs
officials were now richer than the country itself by smiling to their
various banks every day.
It therefore urged the Federal Government to engage the service of
secret police to monitor the activities of the Customs officials along
these boarders by visiting all the communities being mentioned to have
first hand information on how Customs officials were sabotaging the
effort of the present administration in developing our local
industries.
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