President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to immediately establish Border Control Enforcement Agency with full executive order to enable it complement Custom Service in tightening the porous borders, tackling insurgency and boosting the nation’s economic activities.
A statement signed on Sunday by the National Coordinator of Social Integrity Network, (SINET), Malam Ibrahim Issa, commended the President over the border closure policy stressing that the decision has further demonstrated his desire to secure the nation from insurgents.
SINET noted that the border control agency, if created, will ensure maximum prevention of human trafficking, smuggling of dangerous weapons, importation of substandard products as well as restriction of illegal migrants into the country. “We plead with President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently approve the establishment of Border Control System in order to ensure effective monitoring of the influx of illegal activities into the country.
“It’s obvious that leaving border monitoring in the purview of the Nigeria Customs Service alone cannot serve the overall interest of Nigerians because events have shown that Customs are only after revenue generation with no cognizance attention to securing the nation.
“The jobs of revenue generation, border security mechanism, human trafficking control, anti smuggling policy enforcement and regulation of migrants are beyond customs operational technique alone, therefore, there is urgent need for the emergence of an effective agency before the reopening of borders.
“Nigeria being the largest economy in Africa with over 200 million population density and with the recent African Continental Free Trade Agreement, Customs alone cannot secure our borders effectively and this will subject Nigeria to high economic risk and sabotage. There is need for more holistic intervention to arrest this felonious situation.
“We commend the President for taking bold steps towards salvaging the economic interest of local manufacturers as well as curbing insecurity which has ravaged some states in the Northeast. This was part of our public outcries during a peaceful protest held recently in Kaduna; we thank Mr. President for heeding to our plights.
“The move by the federal government towards ensuring adequate protection of lives and property of the Nigeria citizenry, as well as promoting local contents by stemming downsmuggling on the nation’s border is a laudable effort towards the actualization of the much anticipated reversal of the Pre-shipment Inspection Cancellation,” Issa said.
