By Uzor Odigbo
Findings have revealed that the Nigeria police is responsible for mounting 40 out of the 52 checkpoints along Badagry and Seme border road.
The others are mounted by different government agencies like Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Plant Quarantine Service, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Customs Service, among others.
Recall that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recently had a Memorandum of Understanding with Customs Administration of Benin Republic on seamless trade facilitation between the two countries.
The MoU is principally to facilitate ease of doing business between the Nigeria/Benin trade corridor
The strategy involves clearing of Nigerian bound goods in Benin and can only move across the border without delay and vice versa
Similar MoU was signed with Benin during the administration of Hameed Alli as Customs Comptroller General but was frustrated because of stifling of movement of goods at numerous checkpoints that did not conform to the terms of the trade agreement.
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The Inspector General of Police had raided the axis about a month ago and some policemen arrested but the menace has since resurfaced.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has four checkpoints within the axis, Nigerian Army, two, Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) two, Nigerian Plant Quarantine Service, two, Federal Road Safety Corps.
Benin Republic had complained about the development while signing the MoU saying that the illegal road blocks would be a clog to the smooth running of the trade agreement between the two nations.
In view of the recent agreement with the neighbouring country, the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON) is calling on the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi to as a matter of urgency, to seek the intervention of the Inspector General for the new trade agreement to achieve its aim.
The synergy is necessary so that the failure if any of the agreement would not be blamed on the Service because many people believe that it is Customs that usually hamper trade through numerous checkpoints along the border community.
Again Nigeria, through the NCS is making in road into another lofty revenue trajectory that will build trade and revenue generation for both Countries.
It is imperative to note that the greatest hindrance to this feat is the multiple Extortion points mostly mounted by the Nigeria Police, along the Nigeria- Benin- Abijan corridor.
It behoves on the Inspector General of Police of Nigeria to muster political will to dismantle this monster by his officers and men as an albatross against the trade MoU.
Nigeria is the only country in the world that you have over eight checkpoints within a kilometre
