Ogun Consolidated Chapel Forum: Nigerians express diverse views over Border Closure

By ABIODUN JIMOH, ABEOKUTA
Federal Government continuous closure of her border has generated diverse views from Nigerians just as some kicked against the idea, while others were in support of the action.
The panel of discussants expressed their views at a discourse organised by the Consolidated Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State Chapter in Abeokuta as part of the activities to mark this year World Television Day.
Discussants at the forum with the topic ‘Border Closure: Gains and Pains’ were veteran journalist, Eddy Aina; Dapo Oke, a community leader at the Nigeria-Benin Republic border; Abdullahi Maiwada, spokesman, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun Command, and Sunday Olaposi Oginni, Secretary, Labour Party (LP), Ogun State chapter.
At the end of the discourse, two were in support of the action, while two others spoke against government action to close her borders against her neighbours.
The duo of Aina and Maiwada agreed that Nigeria cannot continue to play a big  brother of Africa role, while her citizens continue to suffer.
According to Aina, he viewed that the border ought to have been closed much earlier for the benefit of the country. He cited India government who took firm decision to ban importation of textiles at a certain period, but today, they are the largest exporter of textiles in the world.
In the same vein, Maiwada insisted that the government decision was in order, as it has immensely benefitted the country in terms of revenue generation, among others. “No country can eradicate smuggling completely, but can only be suppressed.”
In contrast, Oginni argued that the policy was not well thought, stating that it was an anti-people policy which has increased the suffering of the masses.
Oginni said: “The kind of suffering the closure has brought to ordinary Nigerians has wiped out any benefit the country has derived from it. The closure is anti-people, it ought to have been discussed extensively with the people before the final decision was taken.
“Border closure is anti-people policy, that is why the government did not implement it before the general elections. The policy is bad, our problem is bad leadership, bad policies and bad implementation.”
In the same vein, the community leader, Oke ascribed the rampant smuggling in the border areas to the government’s neglect of the border communities, citing mass unemployment in these areas as another factor.
Prior to this, Chairman, Consolidated Chapel, Comrade Akeem Olowe in his address said: “As journalists, we see it as our responsibility to bring people with different opinion to come together and discuss the matter and possibly suggest solution for the federal government on how to handle the situation at hand.
“By creating such platform for different individuals to exchange ideas and bear their minds, shows that we are also contributing our quota to the development of the nation.”