BORDERS TO BE REOPENED AS NIGERIA, BENIN, NIGER RAISE JOINT TEAM
A joint patrol team comprising Nigeria, Benin and Niger Republic will set up a date for the opening of the borders, the countries said on Thursday.
The patrol team, according to The Nation’s reports, was set up by the tripartite committee of the three countries on border closure.
Foreign Affairs Minister
Geoffrey Onyeama, who read a communique at the end of a four-hour meeting, said
the team will advise on modalities for a joint border patrol.
Onyeama explained that
there was consensus on mechanisms towards re-opening of the border.
He said: “We have agreed
to put in place certain mechanisms that would enable us to open the borders;
there was consensus on that.
“We have agreed to set up
a joint border patrol so the three countries would send a list of officers that
would be part of the joint border patrol team.
“Security agencies, like
Immigration, Customs, are going to meet on November 25 and 26.
“They would look at the
modalities of implementing the whole regime of anti-smuggling regulations that
have been agreed upon. After the two-day meeting, we are hoping they would be
able to recommend formally for the re-opening of the borders.”
On other decisions reached
at the meeting, he said they include the “Establishment of a Monitoring and
Evaluation Committee” of the three countries, comprising of ministers of
Finance, Trade, Foreign Affairs, Customs, Immigration and National Security
Adviser (NSA), with the mandate to ensure actions that would facilitate and
enhance the suppression of smuggled goods and other related matters.
Onyeama added: “The
Monitoring and Evaluation Committee is to ensure the full implementation of the
adopted mandate of the joint anti-smuggling human trafficking g committee.
“Establishment of Trade
Facilitation Committee among the three countries, comprising ministers of
Finance and Trade in order to promote intra-regional trade among the three
countries as well as put in place sanctions against smuggling of goods. “To
ensure persons from the three countries enter/exit each other’s states with
valid ECOWAS recognised travel documents through recognised controlled posts.”
The meeting, Onyeama said,
“took note of the mandate of the committee which includes inter alia, measures
and actions that would facilitate and enhance the suppression of rice smuggling
and other prohibited items along with breed of the three countries”.
On anti-smuggling
issues, he said: “The meeting deliberated on the myriad of challenges
faced by the three countries, especially in the areas of smuggling of goods and
services that are not approved under the protocols on ECOWAS Trade
Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), Free Movement of Persons without valid ECOWAS
travel documents, as well as plethora of illegal warehouses along the border
corridors.
“In this regard, the
meeting acknowledged smuggling of goods as well as human trafficking as a
collective violation of ECOWAS Protocols on ETLS and free movement that pose
severe economic and security threats to infra-regional trade and free movement.
“In conclusion, the
countries reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing economic integration.”
Responding to the question
if concerns that led to border closure is being addressed, Onyeama said: “We
believe if all the commitments that were made today by the three countries were
kept, going forward, the problem would be minimal compared to what it is.”
On the impact of border
closure, Onyeama noted, “The impact is been severe, border closure always has
an impact, at the end of the day, it is about the mischief we are addressing.
“The mischief in our case
is in the area of food security and also security itself through smuggling of
small weapons and light arms and human trafficking. The mischief we are
addressing is much more important than the cost. The costs are high, the
benefits are high.”
The minister said the
country High Commissioner in Ghana is engaging with the government of Ghana
over the threat to Nigerian traders.
He said. “Our high commissioner
there is engaging with the government of Ghana, we are in touch, the ministry
of foreign affairs with the leadership of the Nigerian traders in Accra, Ghana
and there is no threat as we understand it, to their physical safety.”
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