• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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BusinessDay

Labour Party faults FG over border closure

Border closure lifts 2020 outlook for FMN 

The Labour Party ( LP) has said that despite the Federal Government good intentions, the current border closure between Nigeria and the Benin Republic may not achieve the desired objectives if not properly monitored, while lamenting that Nigerians were being subjected to untold hardship by the decision.

The party however, urged the Federal Government to be proactive and resolve issues that led to the border closure for the sake of the citizenry.

Nigeria recently closed its land borders with Benin Republic, as a result of trade dispute.

The Federal Government said the decision is to stem smuggling and encourage local manufacturers.

The border closure between the two countries has led to an increase in prices of food stuffs and other commodities in Nigeria in recent weeks.

Hammed Ali, head of Nigeria’s Customs Service (NCS), said recently that no item can be imported or exported through the nation’s land borders.

However, speaking in an interview with BusinessDay, Monday, Mike Omotosho, national chairman of the LP, said Nigeria may be sending a wrong signal to foreigners and investors if the nation’s border remains shut for long.

He added that the interest of the citizenry should be the top of any decision and policy of government.

According to him, “It does not make sense when you have a policy which is perceived to be hard on the people and it stays for long.

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“The Federal Government may have good intention but it may be abused; its objective may not be achieved. Prices of food are up and Nigerians are suffering; you have to think of that. There is the free movement of people in the region that is what people have always capitalised on.

“Such decision may not be good in a time when we are opening up the economy, other countries are opening up; if not well managed, and citizens may not understand government intensions.”

Speaking further on moves by the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) to de-register non-performing political parties in the country, the national chairman, noted that INEC had no powers to de-list political parties, stressing that such action would require an amendment of the Electoral Act by the National Assembly.

He added that the number of political parties in the country was too much; stressing that most of them lacked ideology.

“The registration of political party is a constitutional issue; if the parties meet INEC criteria they must be registered. But a party should be formed based on ideology; but when you have so many parties, what ideology would they say they have?

“The National Assembly must amend the electoral Act and give INEC the power to streamline number of political parties in the country. The current numbers are certainly too much,” he said.