Reduce Security Check Points On Border Roads -FIWON Urges FG

By Niyi Ogungbola, Abeokuta

The Federation of Informal Workers Organizations of Nigeria (FIWON)  has called on Federal Government to as a matter of urgency reduce the vast array of Security Check Points along Idi-Iroko-Beni Republic border in other to curb the unwarranted suffering of Nigerians living in the border Communities.

Addressing a press conference in Abeokuta,Ogun State,the FIWON through its General Secretary,Gbenga Komolafe, demanded immediate recall of  Security Agencies whom they alledged of inflicting unnecessary harassment and extortion on poor working people of the border Communities.

According to him, the primitive arms and truncheon welding home and market raiding style of the Nigeria Customs Service must also be stop to give Nigerians living in border towns  a respite.

FIWON said that it was  a know fact that despite harsh policing of poor working people in the border Communities,'big people are still smmugling in banned goods including arms and ammunition while petroleum products are still shipped out most often with escorts of the Customs and other security personnel.

Komolafe said that results from the survey conducted of people working in the informal sector held in Idiroko town, revealed that  Nigerians withing their father land are surffering untold hardship of access to the usage of Petroleum products thus, necessitated the call on FG to consider the immediate lifting of ban on the sale of the products in the border towns.

"We call on the Federal Government to immediately lift the ban on the sale of petroleum products in the border Communities because people living here are also Nigerians.It is sad to note that the supply of grid electricity is particularly very scant in these communities.

What producers and working people in the informal sector are going through in the border Communities without fuel to power generators which is the source of energy to drive the simple machines and equipment used by welders,hair dressers and barbers ,corn and pepper grinders and everyone else at home to provide lighting ,can be imagined.When people bring in fuel from Owode to Idiroko for domestic use,it is a great risk.This is unwarranted attack on people's livelihoods" Komolafe stressed. 

The FIWON as well called on FG to re-enforce  Technology deployment on border areas such as the scanners at entry points  to reduce the hardship on Nigerians working legitimately for their daily needs.

"We called for the extant trade protocols especially withing the ECOWAS framework,to be respected and enforce while one stop tariff collection regime should be introduced.

"The Common External Tariff (CET) which supposedly took off some years ago and which allows for paying of a uniform tariff at all borders in the sub-region should be allowed to be implemented.It is one of the landmarks of ECOWAS.

"The faithful implemention of the Common External Tariff (CET) will lead to a trade boost across board and facilitate the implemention of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS)" Komolafe suggested