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In what could be described as a final onslaught in the fight against smuggling, the Federal Government yesterday, announced the suspension of diesel and petrol products supply to filling stations within 20 kilometres radius to all Nigerian borders.
The Spokesman of Nigeria Customs Service Joseph Attah, who confirmed the development to Daily Sun on phone, said the directive was given to all commands through Augustine Chidi, the Deputy Comptroller-General Enforcement, Inspection, and Investigation Customs, on Wednesday in Abuja.
The circular, dated November 6, 2019, titled, ‘EII/2019/Circular No. 027 Suspension of Petroleum Products Supply To Filling Stations Within 20 Kilometers To All Borders’, addressed to “all zonal coordinators, operation swift response, sector coordinator 1,2,3 & 4, Customs Area Controllers, Coordinators CGC strike force teams, Coordinator, Headquarters Strike Force Teams and all Marine Commands, said, “The Comptroller General of Customs has directed that henceforth no petroleum products no matter the tank size is permitted to be discharged in any filling station within 20 kilometers to the border.”
Attah said the move was in strict obedience to government’s desire to safeguard the economy of the nation.
Since the launch of Exercise Swift Response in August, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) said the volume of premium motor spirit (petrol) consumed daily in Nigeria dropped from 61 million litres to about 50.22 million litres, an indication that the bulk of it was smuggled to neighbouring countries by recalcitrant stakeholders for profiteering.
But reacting to the directive, most entrepreneurs living within the border communities described its as a death knell targeted at them.
According to Akanji Nurudeen, a businessman living in Badagry area of Lagos life has been unbearable for him and his fellow entrepreneurs as they can no longer sell their wares in neighbouring countries in line with existing ECOWAS trade protocols.
However, while the Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, commended the Federal Government over the ongoing border closure initiative, he took a swipe at the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies for not properly educating Nigerians on the exercise before its implementation.
“A lot of sensitisation you are talking about ought to have been carried out by government agencies before the commencement of the border closure initiative,” Masari said on Thursday when the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Abubakar, arrived the Government House on a working visit.
Bashir who is the Coordinator of Section 4 of the Border Drill operation said he was at the Government to brief the governor on activities of the team which operates in 11 states in the north.
According to Masari, “ we are 100 per cent in support of measures being taken by the Federal Government in order to secure the nation and its economy.
“We also support the Federal Government in the implementation of the ECOWAS Treaty which is clear on how states should interact within themselves, whether in commerce, relationships or tourism. These are very clear in the Treaty.”
However, the Governor said that he was disappointed that the Customs failed to properly enlighten the people before embarking on the project of border closure.
“You were supposed to make information available to the people especially using the traditional institutions, to disseminate information so that the people will know about existence of certain things.
Lawyers yesterday were divided over Customs ban on supply of fuel to Nigerians in border areas,
According to Mr Mike Ozekhome (SAN), “The Nigerian Customs can bar such supplies if evidence exists that they are smuggling such fuel outside the country, rather than mere consumption.Such citizens can buy from inland markets. So, there are no human rights violations against few individuals here, if done to safeguard the larger interest of the people”
But another lawyer, Kunle Adegoke reacting to the development, faulted Nigerian Customs on the order, stressing that the order was not within the mandate given to the agency by the Federal Government.
According to him: “The role of customs does not include regulation of supply of goods within the territory of a nation. Communities living within border areas are part of the country in so far as they form part of Nigeria. It is monitoring of the borders that the customs are constitutionally responsible for.
“Border communities are entitled to supply of goods and amenities except where they fall outside the territories of Nigeria and the goods are prohibited from being exported. Where such ban is illegally carried out by the customs, the rights of such communities are in jeopardy and the law must be deployed to intervene”.
Also commenting Chief .Charles Ewelunta, said the order could amount to infringement of economic right of some citizens who have authorisation to deal in the product within that area.
“I believe, the order was made to prevent smuggling of the product but all the same, those who have legal rights to deal on the product have to be considered in order not to infringe on their fundamental rights as guarantee by the Constitution of the country.
“Meanwhile former president of Human Rights Organisation, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Malachy Ugwumadu, said if care is not taken the customs’ order will lead to discrimination against the people in the area.
He said living in border area should not deprive people the right of being Nigerian citizens, therefore customs must retrace its step in order not violate of citizens right.
Former Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Jerry Obasi, has faulted the federal government’s decision to suspend the supply of fuel to the filling stations at the border areas within Nigeria’s territory.
Obasi who was reacting to the federal government’s decision said that the policy was anti people and also an extension of alleged economic sabotage by the Buhari-led government and the new economic team it recently set up.