Tobias Sylvester
Igbo traders under the auspices of South-East Amalgamated Markets Traders Association (SEAMATA) have lamented the continued closure of the nation’s borders, saying it is killing their businesses.
Hence, they appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to reconsider the decision and stressed the need for foreign traders with genuine and wholesome goods to be granted access into the country, noting that opening the borders to genuine businessmen would not only improve the welfare of traders, but would help in the continued growth of the nation’s economy.
The southeast traders made this appeal in a statement issued by its President and Secretary-General, Chief Gozie Akudolu and Alex Okwudili, respectively on Sunday, October 6, 2019.
The traders also wondered why it was only Southern borders that were closed while the Northern borders remained open, saying closure had adversely affected and literally killed their trading across the federation.
“Customers who daily come into Nigeria from the neighbouring African countries to buy genuine goods no longer come because of the difficulty at the borders.
“Even the ones that came were not allowed to have their goods crossed over at the border.
“A visit to the various borders will reveal the volume of goods waiting to be crossed and the difficulty encountered by those foreign traders, who had even run out of money to keep themselves.
“The goods involved include amongst other items, motor and motorcycle spare parts, building materials, engine lubricants, locally manufactured electric cables, locally manufactured biscuits and confectioneries.
“Others are locally made fabrics and textile materials, locally made provisions and beverages and many other locally manufactured products that are positively impacting on the growth of our economy.”
The traders also pledged to continue to support the programmes of the Federal Government and policies meant to revamp the economy and place it on continuous growth.
