While receiving a delegation of Katsina State Elders Forum recently in Daura, Katsina State, President Muhammadu Buhari stated that no specific date has been given for the reopening of the land borders, and that the closure would remain until the situation improved, as that the country’s domestic fuel consumption had dropped by more than 30 per cent since the closure.
Buhari said his administration’s directive on the border closure was meant to curb smuggling, especially rice, and that so far, the closure had saved the country huge sums on import bills, he said his administration was betting on the same measures to rekindle the country’s agricultural rebirth.
The President lauded actions taken by the President of Niger Republic, Muhammad Youssoufou, including the dismissal of officials and a ban on the use of the country as a dumping ground for Nigeria-bound smuggled goods, noting that the measures taken by Niger were helpful and supportive of Nigeria’s goals.
He acknowledged the hardship of border communities following the ban on the sale of fuel at stations 20km to the border, a restriction that also saw to the closure of all fuel stations in his native home, Daura.
”Farmers must be protected, dishonesty is deep-rooted in the country. Otherwise, the border closure would not have been warranted,” he said.
He said the restriction was a temporary measure as the Nigerian Customs Service needed to ascertain outlets involved in the real sale of products and those being used for smuggling.
Buhari told the delegation that he intended forging ahead with poverty alleviation schemes, and the agricultural and livestock reforms started by the administration in the first term since the election was behind him and a government now in place. He explained that the reforms, especially those relating to the settlement of livestock farmers would take time to accomplish.
He said that his deliberate choice of tested farmers as his past and current ministers of agriculture was informed by the need to carry his vision through.
