The Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has appealed to the Federal Government to allow importation of vehicles through the border.
Recall that the Federal Government banned the importation of vehicles through the land borders with effect from January 1, 2017.
However, smuggling of vehicles and other contraband items through the land borders has persisted despite the ban.
Speaking on Wednesday at a meeting between the officials of Nigeria and Benin Republic, the Customs Area Controller of Seme Border Command, Dera Nnadi, lamented that the service has seen significant reduction in revenue generated through the command since the ban on importation of vehicles through the land borders came into effect.
“The former Minister of Transportation, responding to some of our requests and from the stakeholders, promised to take them to the Federal Executive Council – one of them is how to fully open this border.
“The Ministry has informed us that the memo has been written to the FEC and it was adopted and that it would be given to the new government, he assured us that all the requests were adopted,” he said.
Also speaking, Director of Road Transport at the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Ibrahim Musa, said the government was on allowing vehicle importation through the border.
“I was here with the former Minister of State for Transportation when the freight forwarders pleaded that the border should be reactivated for the free movement of goods and services. The former minister made us prepare a memo to that effect. It was considered and sent to the government,” he said.
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