Wheat from my granary
By MAURICE ARCHIBONG
Thursday,
December 20, 2007
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NIS Zone A boss ACG Nnamdi with Seme NIS Controller
Gbuuga.
Photos: MAURICE ARCHIBONG
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For the remaining two Thursdays of this year, “Travels”
would feature a review of tours and encounters with select
key figures and stakeholders of the tourism and culture sectors
as well as summaries of activities at select points of entry,
such as border posts, airports and seaports.
But before we launch this week’s “Travels”
in earnest, we thank our dear readers for the countless responses
we’ve been getting. Unlike previous years, when several
cities in neighbouring West African countries, which hold
a large population of Nigerians, featured frequently in my
travelogues, I deliberately spent most of my time and resources
at home in 2007. It was part of my modest contribution to
national unity, through understanding.
Within the last 12 months, I covered tens of thousands of
kilometers on land, air and sea. I travelled by foot, canoes,
taxis, buses, trucks, airplane and what have you. And to the
Glory of God, I encountered no accident! Hallelujah!
Despite choosing “internal affairs” as our focus
in 2007, “Travels” nonetheless kept an eye on
developments in neighbouring countries, which hold a large
population of our compatriots. As a result of this, the Nigerian
community in Cotonou also features in today’s report.
Although “Travels” have virtually drained my resources
over the decades, it’s something I intend to continue
doing. Going through various sites across the world, from
the archives of foreign universities’ libraries to museums
mailing lists, and finding my work circulated to countless
readers, I know my efforts are worth all the trouble and more.
The reward is compounded by the countless reactions and suggestions
I get from you readers, and I sincerely hope you keep them
coming.
Although I was focused on home, I still kept an eye on the
fortunes of our compatriots in the Diaspora. As a result,
today’s report also features events in neighbouring
Benin Republic. Please keep the feedbacks coming, for they
sometimes guide us as to what to place more emphasis on.
From the deluge of commendations we received, it would seem
that Travels’ Readers’ Best of 2007 includes “Trips
to Nigeria’s Four Corners,” “Oron: Where
men haunt ghosts,” “Ikom Monoliths,” “Igbo
Ukwu Unreported,” “From Umuahia with hope,”
and “Katsina: Splendid at Sallah and Always.”
Which was your favourite?
Please do let us know to enable us serve you better. Readers
outside Nigeria, please send e-mail to marchibong@hotmail.com
More wheat than chaff
Like every harvest, 2007 apparently yielded a mixed bag, but
one could safely say the wheat far outweighed the chaff. The
outgoing year was a period of transition, when one central
authority gave way to another, albeit, after what has come
to be condemned as the worst ever election in the nation’s
history. After the shambles of a poll, came a fresh cabinet:
Never mind that the supposed “fresh” cabinet includes
notable stale and over-recycled figures.
Albeit, the change of guard also brought in new hands, which
probably needed some time to learn the ropes. In any case,
seven months down the road, the incumbent government has burnt
up almost 15 per cent of its expected 48-month tenure. In
less than six months, 25 per cent or a quarter of the Alhaji
Umar Yar’Adua Presidency would be gone. Whether the
government ends up sacked over alleged electoral flaws or
not, seven months is a long enough time for any leadership
to define its direction.
So, where are we heading tourism and culture wise? Although
a few departments appeared unable or unwilling to keep pace,
some sections recorded great strides in 2007. In the latter
group, two agencies, the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation
(NTDC) and the National Gallery of Art (NGA), won everyone’s
heart, which is why “Travels” chose to feature
their scorecard as part of our review of 2007. However, we
want to start with security, for without this, tourism cannot
thrive. We therefore go to Nigeria’s southwestern frontier
settlement of Seme to flag off our review.
Seme, the loose border
A confounding curio of Seme Border is that it is one of the
least developed or organized frontiers in the sub-region,
despite its invaluable importance both on the economic and
security fronts. Seme Border could easily pass for an epitome
of chaos, to any traveller familiar with Hilla Condji/Petit
Popo, Kodzoviakope/Aflao and Elubo/Noe, the Benin Republic/Togo,
Togo/Ghana and Ghana/Cote d’Ivoire frontiers respectively.
At each of these three international boundaries, west of Nigeria,
there is well defined Motor Park, market, Customs Examination
Bay and public conveniences. These, and other facilities,
are far removed from the security officials frontier posts.
But at Seme, what does one find? Nigeria Customs officials
examine over-laden trucks and trailers on the road, commercial
drivers park along the street and fight for space with traders
that have also abandoned their stalls inside the local market
to compound the traffic bottlenecks along the Seme-Badagry
Expressway. To worsen matters, there’s no proper canalization
of either human or vehicular traffic at Seme because of the
peculiar location of ECOWAS House on Beninoise land. The relocation
found Nigerian personnel inside ECOWAS House, which stands
land-locked inside Beninoise territory. The peculiar position
of these frontier posts on foreign soil created loopholes
exploited by criminal elements, to date.
Seme may have been loose for a long time, but it would seem
that the federal government is poised to act to redress the
situation at last. On December 5, 2007, for example, six members
of the Senate Committee on the Interior Ministry were on an
official tour of Seme. Senator Olalekan Mustapha, head of
the senate committee, and other members of the entourage,
learnt that the performance of Nigerian security agencies
has been hampered since April 6, 2001, when following official
directive, the operatives moved their frontier desks 300 metres
into Beninoise territory. The delegation also learnt that
unlike the situation on the Benin Republic fringes, which
are electrified, fenced and well maintained 100 meters from
the borderline; the Nigerian side does not even boast a buffer
zone, let alone basic infrastructure.
After inspection of the border areas, the visitors had agreed
that the NIS deserved a Toll Plaza on the Nigerian side of
the border to prevent any form of operational friction with
their Beninoise counterparts. From his remark in the Visitors’
Register, the leader of the visiting committee commended Nigeria
Immigration personnel at Seme, apparently, for their conduct
amid daunting drawbacks.
Honour to whom it is due
The outgoing year would forever remain a special one for Mr.
Christian Nfona. Nfona, an Inspector of the Nigeria Immigration
Service (NIS), shall always remember 2007; for it was the
year his diligence earned him an uncommon honour at his place
of work. It all happened at Seme Border, where Deputy Comptroller
of Immigration Emmanuel Gbuuga gave a well-deserved award
to Nfona. The inspector got a plaque, among other rewards
for productivity. Ordinarily, most people think of immigration
officers with regard to passports, admission into a country,
refusal of entry or migration management in a nutshell; but
at some of our not-so-secure borders, Seme for example, NIS
personnel are required to do more.
Nfona’s day of glory didn’t come easy, but he
deserved every accolade he got, for it is not always that
an immigration personnel aborts the evil run of a weapons
trafficker. There he stood, plaque in hand as a senior officer
read the citation of Cross River State-born Nfona, apparently
much to the envy of his colleagues. Interestingly, Nfona’s
alertness did not just lead to the interception of a gun runner:
Twice in quick succession, Nfona’s eagle eye and sharp
mind spelled Waterloo for different arms runners. In the first
instance, Nfona intercepted a 35-year-old Beninoise Vincent
Abodor, who was bringing two guns into Nigeria. The second
incident led to the recovery of two guns from two Nigerians,
Jubrila Hassan and Usman Sahabi. Hassan, 40, claimed to hail
from Kebbi State, while 36-year-old Sahabi said he is an indigene
of Zamfara. However, it could not be ascertained, if these
characters really hailed from where they claimed. Altogether,
through Nfona, Seme NIS recovered four pistols and apprehended
three suspects. Gbuuga revealed the gunrunners would have
slipped through, were Nfona a greedy or an unpatriotic officer.
In one of the incidents, Nfona rejected a bribe offer, insisting
instead on frisking the suspect. During the search, the immigration
officer discovered that one of the suspects, who were atop
an “okada,” had concealed a pistol under each
of his armpits. Comptroller Gbuuga, NIS Controller of Seme
Control Post, who spoke with “Travels” in his
office Monday, expressed the hope the honour given to Nfona
would ginger other officers to go the fabled extra mile to
distinguish themselves.
According to Mr. Gbuuga, the interceptions of those firearms
were some of his control post’s unforgettable achievements
in 2007, which was the reason behind the award to Nfona. Gbuuga
again: “It is true that some officers were rather surprised
that Nfona could be so honoured, but the honour was well deserved
by this officer resisted money offer and made us proud. From
his conduct, I believe he is brave, thorough and committed.
The honour was also made because he probably saved many lives.
Who knows how far those guns would have travelled?”
NDLEA thumps chest
When asked his impression of Seme, Mr. Isa Adoro Umar, Commander
of Seme Special Area Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency (NDLEA), said his current station is very different
from every else he had worked. Umar, who had previously served
at Kebbi Zonal Command, which boasts several border outposts,
added: “Seme is one of the most important and also one
of the most porous borders.” Apparently, the NDLEA also
has cause to consider its outing in 2007 a good one, going
by Umar’s scorecard, which shows that about 4.30 pm
on November 1, operatives of that agency reined in three suspects
in connection with eight parcels of “pure cocaine, weighing
7.5kg.” The local NDLEA chief, who put the value of
this seizure at “about N21 million,” recalled
the suspects, 43-year-old Segun Adegbite, Amaka Charles Opia
(30) and Emmanuel Kwakwu (48) ran into a brick wall, when
they were accosted at Gbaji, near Badagry by NDLEA personnel.
According to Umar, Adegbite, described as an Ivory Coast-based
businessman, Charles Opia (Lagos-based beautician) and Kwakwu,
resident in Ghana and driver of the faded gray Volvo GL 240
vehicle numbered CP 63 SMK in which the suspects were travelling,
all pleaded guilty, when arraigned in court. The NDLEA commander
however rued that a fourth suspect Yomi Adeniyi, who took
to his heels before apprehension, was at large.
Umar further told “Travels” that his command arrested
46 suspects (40 males and 6 females) in drug related offences
between June and November 2007. Interestingly, a 75-year-old
senior citizen, Hunsa Avoseh, was among these detainees. Avoseh
was allegedly in custody of 1.6kg of marijuana, when NDLEA
operatives nabbed him at Pota Village in Aradagun area of
Badagry, Umar enthused. Furthermore, two other suspects, Rabbe
Ibrahim and Babangida Abubakar, were in possession of cannabis
sativa weighing 617kg, when arrested by NDLEA officers at
Alaba Rago, near Okokomaiko, recalled the local NDLEA helmsman,
who added that its command’s largest seizure of cannabis
took place at Okokomaiko, which lies between Iyana Iba and
Agbara, on July 26.
Views of Seme ANLCA chiefs
For deeper appraisal of Seme, “Travels” also sought
the views of members of the local Association of Nigeria Licensed
Customs Agents (ANLCA). Mr. Benjamin Bako Dan-Borno, Treasurer
of Seme ANLCA, said he wanted the number of checkpoints along
the Lagos-Badagry-Seme highway reduced drastically. Mr. Dan-Borno,
Managing Director of Cross Maritime Services Limited, added:
“President Umaru Yar’Adua should restructure the
Nigeria Customs Service to meet the challenges ahead of Nigeria,
vis-à-vis the economy.” However, Dan-Borno had
at least one reason to be cheerful about Seme in 2007. This
has to do with the influx of banks observed toward the end
of the year. In its early days as a border station, Seme was
very loose. Crime rate was frightening; consequently, no bank
wanted anything to do with that neighbourhood. Fortunately,
the arrival of the Nigeria-Benin Republic Joint Border Patrol
(JBP) in 2002 helped to sanitize Seme to the point that by
early 2008 about eight banks would be operating at Seme, whereas
only one bank had a branch here for many years. Speaking on
the rising number of banks at Seme, Dan-Borno said: “This
is a welcome development. It shows that Seme has finally arrived.”
Echoes from Cotonou
The news from neighbouring Benin Republic is that virtually
every member of the executive of various Nigerian ethnic bodies
in the economic capital of that country were returned in latest
elections held this year. For example, Chief Ebuka Onunkwo,
Alhaji Ishola Bello and Alhaji Muniru Garba all retained their
seats as Leader of Igbo Union Cotonou (IUC), Chairman of Yoruba
Community and Seriki Hausawa respectively. On Saturday December
8, 2007, the IUC held the inauguration of their “new”
executive simultaneously with Igbo people’s End of Year
party, which took place at Halls des Art, Cotonou.
Another important development concerning Nigerians in Cotonou
in 2007 was the release and eventual interment of the remains
of three Nigerians killed in Benin Republic since May 1 and
2, 2005. The victims’ corpses, which had been held in
a local morgue for roughly 28 months were finally released
and conveyed home on September 7. Sunday September 2, 2007
marked two years and four months, since the corpses of the
victims, Chinedu Ohuka, Nnamdi Ogoko and Eleanya Ogbu, were
detained inside the Hubert Koutoukou Maga National University
Teaching Hospital in Cotonou.
Aside the collection of the corpses of the late Nigerians,
the Igbo Union in Cotonou also carried out its fasting and
prayers on Wednesday September 5. The recourse to solicit
“Divine Intervention” followed an unusual spate
of deaths among members of the Igbo community living in Benin
Republic. It could be recalled that following the curious
transition, in quick succession, of more than a dozen Igbo
natives living in Cotonou, leaders of Cotonou’s Igbo
community had, in March, called for fasting and prayers during
a meeting held at L’Espace Senegalaise. The deceased
had lost their lives within a six-month period between December
2006 and May 2007, while Igbo people living in the neighbouring
country were still struggling to collect the bodies of their
three compatriots killed in May 2005.
Furthermore, Oganiru Amankwo Uzuakoli (Uzuakoli Progressive
Union) launched the debut edition of its almanac on September
16.
PS: Usually, there’s massive movement of people in various
directions immediately before and after the Yuletide. This
mass transit translates into uncommon traffic density and
calls for extra caution on the part of every road user, motorists
and pedestrians alike.
Unfortunately, the Yuletide is sometimes a period of apprehension
because of fear of robbers, who also want to “celebrate
Christmas” and reckless drivers, who want to make that
extra shuttle for more money. We pray that God in his infinite
mercy shall lead us safely through this period and even through
decades ahead – Amen!
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