Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, has advised the Federal Government to end the closure of the land borders into the country.

He said it would be in the national interest for the government to call off the border closure.

Rather than continue to close the land borders, Falana advised the Federal Government to “urgently dialogue with Nigeria’s neighbouring countries to jointly fight the menace of smuggling, which necessitated the border closure by Nigeria.”

The lawyer gave the advice in a statement on Thursday while delivering a paper on “Rule of Law, Good Governance and Economic Development” at the annual conference of the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Accra, Ghana.

He urged the Federal Government to reject the endorsement of its border closure policy by the International Monetary Fund.

He described IMF’s endorsement of the border closure policy as “a deliberate design to weaken ECOWAS regional integration agenda.”


Falana said, “Border closure is inconsistent with the letter and spirit of ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Residence and Establishment and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. The endorsement of the IMF is a deliberate design to weaken the ECOWAS regional integration agenda.

“The borders should be reopened without any further delay as it cannot be sustained for too long without serious repercussions for the Nigerian economy.

“The neighbouring countries may retaliate by imposing a ban on goods being exported from Nigeria by air. They may also close down Nigerian banks and other businesses operating in other member states of the ECOWAS.



“Instead of resorting to the unilateral closure of borders the Federal Government should drag the Republics of Benin and Niger to the Court of Justice of the ECOWAS for breaching the ECOWAS Protocol by allegedly encouraging the smuggling of petrol, rice and other products. In the alternative, smuggling should be addressed like terrorism which is being jointly combated by Nigeria and her neighbours.”

Falana argued that border closure was tantamount to imposing undue punishment on law-abiding corporate bodies and community citizens “because of the criminal activities of a few trans-border smugglers.”


He added, “The Federal Government should expose the smugglers by arresting and prosecuting them. The smugglers in Nigeria and the neighbouring countries are well-known by the security agencies. Without official connivance, the crime of smuggling cannot thrive in the region.”

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He also advised the Federal Government to deploy technology in border monitoring as a way of checking and tracking smugglers.

He said, “Apart from monitoring the borders with technology, the Federal Government should take advantage of the ECOWAS Protocol Relating to the re-exportation within ECOWAS of goods imported from third countries. Under the Protocol Benin, Togo and Ghana are only entitled to charge administrative fees in respect of goods whose destination is Nigeria


https://punchng.com/end-border-closure-in-national-interest-falana-advises-fg/

Buharri wants to recreate the "essential commodities" scarcity that nearly killed thousands when he closed the borders in 1984.

To them, it was a policy aimed at showing their flabby muscles and not a way to do anything that can help the economy of Nigeria.

Back then, goods like groundnut oil, liquid milk and many goods which had no local substitute were banned and any body who imported them were arrested. The goods were shared at local government headquarters to top officials. It was a bad crisis then.

Buharri surprised my grand fathers in 1984, at the height of the inflation crisis which erupted as a result of his bad policies like the forceful closure of the border, he started what they called forces sales.

They will invade a market with army people and force the whole market women to sell at a price which they like, civilians will be trooping after them to buy the cheap goods selling at below market prices, people still hailed him as a Robin Hood of sorts

He spoke very well

With due respect sire, hell NO


We are ridiculed by our neighbors before now

I don’t believe the feed fat from us yet call us all sorts of ridiculous names

Dis boarder closure just showed how wicked we are as individuals...wetin boarder closure get to do with the prices of garri and palmoil..their prices just increased overnight...abi we dey import dem too?

A stupid stance from Falana.

What stupid national interest is that?

Someone should tell him that he mustn't stand against Buhari just because they didn't reward his asslicking.

Let the borders remain closed.

Let my Igbo brothers who are hardest hit, do the right thing by going through the appropriate channel and paying the right duties.

For once, I stand with Buhari!

Useless talk . Even its possible ECOWAS should be Scrap.

donbachi:
Dis boarder closure just showed how wicked we are as individuals...wetin boarder closure get to do with the prices of garri and palmoil..their prices just increased overnight...abi we dey import dem too?

God bless you

donbachi:
Dis boarder closure just showed how wicked we are as individuals...wetin boarder closure get to do with the prices of garri and palmoil..their prices just increased overnight...abi we dey import dem too?

Just wait for the inflation, and how they will use koboko to flog all the people in the market into line to sell at below cost prices

That's market correction according to Buharri

Awol1:
A stupid stance from Falana.

What stupid national interest is that?

Someone should tell him that he mustn't stand against Buhari just because they didn't reward his asslicking.

Let the borders remain closed.

Let my Igbo brothers who are hardest hit, do the right thing by going through the appropriate channel and paying the right duties.

For once, I stand with Buhari!

You spoke well

sarrki:
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, has advised the Federal Government to end the closure of the land borders into the country.

He said it would be in the national interest for the government to call off the border closure.

Rather than continue to close the land borders, Falana advised the Federal Government to “urgently dialogue with Nigeria’s neighbouring countries to jointly fight the menace of smuggling, which necessitated the border closure by Nigeria.”

The lawyer gave the advice in a statement on Thursday while delivering a paper on “Rule of Law, Good Governance and Economic Development” at the annual conference of the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Accra, Ghana.

He urged the Federal Government to reject the endorsement of its border closure policy by the International Monetary Fund.

He described IMF’s endorsement of the border closure policy as “a deliberate design to weaken ECOWAS regional integration agenda.”


Falana said, “Border closure is inconsistent with the letter and spirit of ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Residence and Establishment and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. The endorsement of the IMF is a deliberate design to weaken the ECOWAS regional integration agenda.

“The borders should be reopened without any further delay as it cannot be sustained for too long without serious repercussions for the Nigerian economy.

“The neighbouring countries may retaliate by imposing a ban on goods being exported from Nigeria by air. They may also close down Nigerian banks and other businesses operating in other member states of the ECOWAS.



“Instead of resorting to the unilateral closure of borders the Federal Government should drag the Republics of Benin and Niger to the Court of Justice of the ECOWAS for breaching the ECOWAS Protocol by allegedly encouraging the smuggling of petrol, rice and other products. In the alternative, smuggling should be addressed like terrorism which is being jointly combated by Nigeria and her neighbours.”

Falana argued that border closure was tantamount to imposing undue punishment on law-abiding corporate bodies and community citizens “because of the criminal activities of a few trans-border smugglers.”


He added, “The Federal Government should expose the smugglers by arresting and prosecuting them. The smugglers in Nigeria and the neighbouring countries are well-known by the security agencies. Without official connivance, the crime of smuggling cannot thrive in the region.”

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He also advised the Federal Government to deploy technology in border monitoring as a way of checking and tracking smugglers.

He said, “Apart from monitoring the borders with technology, the Federal Government should take advantage of the ECOWAS Protocol Relating to the re-exportation within ECOWAS of goods imported from third countries. Under the Protocol Benin, Togo and Ghana are only entitled to charge administrative fees in respect of goods whose destination is Nigeria


https://punchng.com/end-border-closure-in-national-interest-falana-advises-fg/

Falana should stop promoting insecurity in Nigeria. Border closure is to safe guard our country.

Awol1:
A stupid stance from Falana.

What stupid national interest is that?

Someone should tell him that he mustn't stand against Buhari just because they didn't reward his asslicking.

Let the borders remain closed.

Let my Igbo brothers who are hardest hit, do the right thing by going through the appropriate channel and paying the right duties.

For once, I stand with Buhari!

That's a naive statement back there pal

The whole cost of business will be transferred to you on the market prices and except you are buying yours from obodo oyibo, you are the person that will bear this burden.

reality1010:

Falana should stop promoting insecurity in Nigeria. Border closure is to safe guard our country.

which insecurity again?

Tell me, did border closure mean that cows will not be allowed to wander on foot through Niger Republic?

sarrki:


You spoke well

Did I just got quoted by Sarrki?

Abomination.

I need cleansing.

sarrki:
With due respect sire, hell NO

We are ridiculed by our neighbors before now
I don’t believe the feed fat from us yet call us all sorts of ridiculous names

you always yap nonsense

donbachi:
Dis boarder closure just showed how wicked we are as individuals...wetin boarder closure get to do with the prices of garri and palmoil..their prices just increased overnight...abi we dey import dem too?

Very naive comment from an amateur. Garri and palm oil production spare parts are imported through the land borders to beat the ports congestion and the delays it necessitates.

So when Mama Bolaji cannot produce her garri cheaply, she must raise her costs and you will be here crying the more.

SLAP44:


That's a naive statement back there pal

The whole cost of business will be transferred to you on the market prices and except you are buying yours from obodo oyibo, you are the person that will bear this burden.

We can't keep pretending that we (Igbos) don't have a problem.

Our orientation towards money making is dangerous and has to be stopped one way or another.

An Igbo man will import German product and remove the original parts and replace it with Chinese parts. Now, he will the German carcass encasing the Chinese parts for the price of genuine product and still sell the German parts he removed.

What is that?

Why can't most of Ndigbo be sincere and straightforward with their dealings in life.

We need to tell ourselves this truth.

life103:
you always yap nonsense

Enemies of the state are bitter we all know

SLAP44:


Very naive comment from an amateur. Garri and palm oil production spare parts are imported through the land borders to beat the ports congestion and the delays it necessitates.

So when Mama Bolaji cannot produce her garri cheaply, she must raise her costs and you will be here crying the more.

Hey, don't spread lies.

Garri making machines are now fabricated in Nigeria.

Awol1:


We can't keep pretending that we (Igbos) don't have a problem.

Our orientation towards money making is dangerous and has to be stopped one way or another.

An Igbo man will import German product and remove the original parts and replace it with Chinese parts. Now, he will the German carcass encasing the Chinese parts for the price of genuine product and still sell the German parts he removed.

What is that?

Why can't most of Ndigbo be sincere and straightforward with their dealings in life.

We need to tell ourselves this truth.

you as a person have a problem with yourself, face it and stop dragging an off topic thing into a different topic.

Awol1:


Hey, don't spread lies.

Garri making machines are now fabricated in Nigeria.

With wood and stones ba?

List all the materials used in making garri processing machines, go ahead and expose your ignorance.

donbachi:
Dis boarder closure just showed how wicked we are as individuals...wetin boarder closure get to do with the prices of garri and palmoil..their prices just increased overnight...abi we dey import dem too?

that means ur not a business man, a garri seller will buy rice remember..u don't know of indirect effects of situations like this

Benin Republic has a population of 12 million . But it was the worlds 5th importer of rice. In 2018, it imported rice worth US$996m.

Benin is also world's largest importer of used cars and second hand clothing. All with a population of 12m people.

Benin government receives billion of $ as import duty from these goods.

98.2% of these imports into Benin are only on transit; their final destination is NIGERIA.

Nigeria is world's largest consumer of used cars and second hand clothing, and is also Africa's largest consumer of Asian grown rice.

That's just one source o.

Let's join hands and see a great Nigeria. It is possible.

Nigeria survival as a nation supercedes any ECOWAS court of law.
If Benin could be generating billion as import duty on goods that are largely consumed in Nigeria. I will implore PMB to lock the borders gate till eternity
Nigeria first.

SLAP44:


Very naive comment from an amateur. Garri and palm oil production spare parts are imported through the land borders to beat the ports congestion and the delays it necessitates.

So when Mama Bolaji cannot produce her garri cheaply, she must raise her costs and you will be here crying the more.

so apart from land are there no other means of bringing in goods into nigeria?what happened to air and sea..did we finish all the aviailable goods b4 the closure?u dat is not naive..for mama bolaji,are there no spare parts in shops b4 boarder closure?or does she import spare parts daily as well?pls,be mindful of ur words.thanks.

SLAP44:


you as a person have a problem with yourself, face it and stop dragging an off topic thing into a different topic.

Nothing off topic.

They are all intertwined.

nero2face:
that means ur not a business man, a garri seller will buy rice remember..u don't know of indirect effects of situations like this

u people are making me believe dat all the goods that enters nigeria comes through the land boarders only.

In the alternative, smuggling should be addressed like terrorism which is being jointly combated by Nigeria and her neighbours.”

Nigeria should ho negotiate its terms. What concrete actions does Nigeria want Benin and Niger to tske to reopen borders. Im thinking they should agree to more information and deploying more security forces on their side of border. I agree with falana on joint borde opperations.

Trump's deal with Mexico is good example to follow. The US got Mexico to agree to more information sharing, station national guard at their southern border and keep asylum seekers in Mexico until their cases are resolved in the US.

I guess this is why Falana makes his living as a human rights lawyer and and not one of the FG economic advisors.

SLAP44:
Buharri wants to recreate the "essential commodities" scarcity that nearly killed thousands when he closed the borders in 1984.

To them, it was a policy aimed at showing their flabby muscles and not a way to do anything that can help the economy of Nigeria.

Did someone curse you people with wailing?

donbachi:
u people are making me believe dat all the goods that enters nigeria comes through the land boarders only.

Not all. The ones through sea and air have not been complaining because they pay what's due to Nigeria government. I was at MMA cargo section just last week, if you see the amount of Rice milling machines coming through, definitely , you will see it's a matter of time before we begin to buy Nigeria rice at a very reduced price