Loading ...In line with the pursuit of the South East Amalgamated market Traders association (SEAMATA) to ensuring that there is total removal of custom checkpoints along the Highway due to massive exploitation of the traders by some corrupt custom officers, the leadership of the association today met President Mohammadu Buhari behind close doors.
This delegation accompanied by the Grand Patron of SEAMATA Chief Sir Emeka Offor and also had their Patron HE Chief Ken Nnamani, The Vice President General Chief Akudolu Gozie (Iroko) amongst others.
In their meeting, they presented the challenges faced by traders in the hands of some corrupt customs officers after they have paid all duties and tax, cleared their goods and now transporting them to their business areas. They appealed to Mr President for a total removal of customs checkpoints from the highways as obtainable in other countries of the world.
In his speech, the President General Chief Dr Ezenwankwo Okwudili stressed the need for the men of Nigeria customs to completely leave the highways and ensure that the boarders and ports are free from contraband goods by proper inspection of all cargo.
In his words: ” Your Excellency Mr President, we have traveled to so many countries of the world and it is only in Nigeria that Custom officers are found on the high ways, some of the corrupt officers exploit the traders massively. These genuine traders have paid all the necessary duties and taxes to the Government and cleared their goods only to be held on transit for no just course. We are appealing to you Your Excellency to see to the total removal of custom officers on the highway thereby improving ease of doing business”
In addition, Chief Ezenwankwo emphasized on the need to have a dry port in Onitsha which will reduce the risk of transporting their goods from Lagos bearing in mind that the South East is the hub for trading which when achieved, will help reduce the cost of goods and make our roads safer.
Furthermore, they appealed to Mr President to use his good office to ensure that the Chairman of National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) Prof Humphrey Nwosu, who introduced Option A4 that was used to conduct the June 12 1993 election that has been adjudged the freest and fairest election in Nigeria is awarded with a national Honour just as he honored the presumed winner and his vice late MKO Abiola and Amb Babagana Kingibe respectively amongst other issues discussed.
You may recall that in July 23, 2018, the leadership of SEAMATA tabled the same issues to the Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo and now took it to Mr President for urgent action.
See below their visit to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo
*SOUTHEAST TRADERS ADVOCATE FOR REMOVAL OF CUSTOM CHECKPOINTS FROM THE ROADS*
The leadership of South East Amalgamated Market Traders Association led by the President General Chief Ezenwankwo Okwudili paid a courtesy call to His Excellency, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday at the Aso Villa Abuja.
In this visit, they discussed some serious burning issues in the nation.
Some of the issues discussed as it mostly affect the business community include:
- High rate of extortion and incessant checkpoints by some men of the Nigeria Custom Service
- Terrorism and Activities of the Herdsmen
- Inclusion of Prof Humphrey Nwosu as a recipient of the National Award for June 12 struggle among others
On the issue of the extortion and incessant check points by some men of the Nigeria Custom service, Chief Ezenwankwo appealed to Vice President Osinbajo to see to the removal of checkpoints by men of the Nigeria Custom Service as some of them now use it as avenue to exploit and extort money unnecessarily from the traders who have completed all the required payments and their goods released form the ports.
He argued that the work of Custom Officers should start and end at the ports and boarders as obtainable in other countries of the world as it is only in Nigeria that you see Custom Officers on the roads.
Chief Ezenwankwo advised that men of the Nigeria Custom should devise means of improving their technology for effective and efficient manning of the ports and boarders of the country as they do not have any business being on the road.
The issue of terrorism and herdsmen attacks have sent a lot of traders to early grave and so many who survived cannot even put food on the tables of their families since their means of livelihood have been destroyed.
In his words: ” _Your Excellency, you will agree with me that no business thrives in an atmosphere of insecurity and a lot of families cannot feed as a result of either the loss of the breadwinners or their businesses burnt and closed down leaving them with nothing to survive due to the Boko haram or herdsmen activities”_
He appealed to the Vice President to consider a review of the strategy of combating the insurgency from *counter terrorism* where the security agencies only respond to attacks from these terrorists to *anti terrorism* which will help in fishing out the culprits and bringing them to book.
Furthermore, the President General appealed to the Vice President to consider an award for Prof Humphrey Nwosu for his brevity and as the Chairman of National Electoral Commission who conducted the June 12 election with the popular *OPTION A4* that has been adjudged the freest, fairest and most credible election in the history of Nigeria, stating that it will be unfair to him, who took all the risk to even announce most of the election results against all odds not to be honored.
He also commended the President Mohamadu Buhari led administration for writing their name in the sands of time by honoring late Chief MKO Abiola and Amb Babagana Kingibe for the struggle of June 12 and making that memorable day our democracy day.
