Border Closure: South-East Traders Express Worry

South-East Amalgamated Markets Traders Association (SEAMATA), the umbrella body of all traders from the South-East zone who are doing business across states in the federation, has said the closure of the nation’s borders is causing untold hardship for traders.

The association made this known through a statement made available to newsmen in Enugu and jointly signed by its President General, Gozie Akudolu and the Secretary General, Alex Okwudili.

According to it, the move will not only improve the welfare of the traders but also help in the continued growth of the economy of the nation.

It noted that the move would save the nation the embarrassment of sending lots of traders into the already “oversaturated labour market’’ and further block the chances of our teeming youths from being gainfully engaged as trade apprentices.

It said that the closure of the boarders to effectively checkmate the smuggling of illicit and prohibited items especially foreign rice has recorded a huge success and stimulated great increase in the production of local rice, which is a healthy boost to our economy.

“Some of our members, who are in the regions with the soil that support the cultivation of rice are even engaging in its cultivation, and this will add to government’s efforts in meeting with the sustainable rice production for our country and for export it said.

It maintained that the closure has also helped the security agencies to intercept unwholesome items and illicit substances as well as small arms and light weapons that over the years, have encouraged criminality in the country.

The association however regretted that the closure is adversely affecting and literally killing trading across the federation.

“Customers who daily come into Nigeria from the neighboring African countries to buy genuine goods no longer come because of the difficulty at the boarders. “Even the ones that came were not allowed to have their goods crossed over at the border”.

It noted that a visit to the various boarders will reveal the volume of goods waiting to be crossed and the difficulty encountered by those foreign traders, who had even ran out of money to keep themselves.

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“The goods involved include amongst other items, motor and motorcycle spare parts, building materials, engine lubricants, locally manufactured electric cables, locally manufactured biscuits and confectioneries.

“Others are locally made fabrics and textile materials, locally made provisions and beverages and many other locally manufactured products that are positively impacting on the growth of our economy’’ it noted.

The association appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to graciously consider the plight of millions of Nigerian traders and direct security agencies to allow foreign traders with legitimate and wholesome goods to cross the boarders.

It said it would continue to support the Federal Government programmes and policies meant to revamp the economy and place it on continuous growth.