Members of the ECOWAS Parliament have expressed their displeasure over the continued closure of Nigeria’s land borders, saying it is against the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of goods and persons.
Some members of the parliament were reacting to the country presentation of Nigeria at the 2019 second ordinary session of the parliament in Abuja on Wednesday.
The Nigeria delegation led by Ahmed Idris Wase had told the parliamentarians that despite the ban on rice importation through the land borders in 2016, it was smuggled into the country.
The delegation from Gambia led by Kebba Barrow said their country has continued to comply with the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of people and the right to reside and establish while urging Nigeria to do same.
Also, the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Moustapha Cisse Lo, condemned the closure of the land border between Nigeria and its neighbours.
“I reiterate my call for the opening of the borders between our States and the observance of the protocol on the free movement of persons and goods in the ECOWAS region, which aims to facilitate trade liberalisation and the removal of trade barriers between our States and our peoples,” he said.