Posted by
According to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Federal Government has not eased the restriction on car importation through the Seme Border.
Earlier in the week, reports suggested that the border was now open for the importation of vehicles.
The Customs Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Seme Area Command, Hussaini Abdullahi, addressed the matter in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday, claiming that the government has not yet made a decision regarding the reopening of the border.
Abdullahi confessed that several freight forwarders wrote a proposal to the FG on the recommendation of the previous minister of state for transportation, Ademola Adegoroye.
He added that the freight forwarders had complained to him about how the prohibition had affected them when the former minister had visited the border in February to officially launch several projects.
He stated that Adegoroye encouraged the border residents and freight forwarders to submit their request in writing.
According to the customs spokeswoman, it was confirmed that the letter from the freight forwarders had been received and taken action on by being forwarded to a higher authority during a recent visit by Ibrahim Musa, director of road transport in the ministry of transportation.
He stated that “no directive had been given on the matter.”
In an effort to stop smuggling and increase domestic rice production, the former president Muhammadu Buhari closed all land borders in August 2019.