JUST IN ATIKU TURNS BUHARI BORDER CLOSURE AS AN ELECTIONEERING CAMPAIGN ISSUE IN THE NORTH, OBI PROMISES TO ERADICATE POVERTY

President Muhammadu Buhari closure of borders with neighbouring West African country of Benin, Nigr, Chad and the Central African country of Cameroon to stem smuggling of vehicles, foreign rice and other Contraband into the country in August 19, 2019, appears to have become an electioneering Campaign issue in Nigeria.

The Katsina born Nigerian President had banned the importation of vehicles and foreign rice through the land border on January 1, 2017. The importation of rice into the country was later extended in the seaports in June 2017, with a directive to Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central of Nigeria, CBN, to stop ssuing letters of Credit, LC, to rice importers.

The Nigerian President may have known that the Opposition Political Parties Presidential Candidates would take advantage of the closure of the land borders with the West African countries of Benin, Niger Chad and the Central African country of Cameroon, to run down the ruling down the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, once the ban on Campaigns forthe 2023, general elections is lifted by Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, led Independent National Electoral Commision, INEC.

Buhari may have bowed pressure from different quarters both within and outside the country to reopen Seme , the Land border Community,between Nigeria and Benin Republic, in the south western Ngeria, Ilela and Maitagari border in the north western part of the contry and Mfun in the south-south geo-political region on December 31, 2020 but that was how far he could go.

He had said that the ban on the importation of vehicles, foreign rice, poultry products and other prohibited products will still be implemented by the interventionist units: Federal Operations Units , across the country and the adhoc Teams: Border Drill and Headquarters strike Force. Teams, across the country.

Given security report of the improved situation at Idiroko Land border in the south west part of Nigeria, Jibiya in Katsina state, north westernwestern Nigeria, border amba border post in Kebbi state, north west and Ikom, Cross –river state, south western Nigeria, may have encouraged the Nigerian President to give the nod for the approval of the four borders spread across the three geopolitical regions that share boundary with Benin Republic, Niger and Cameroon,respectively.

Given that most of the country’s land borders are located in the north western part of the country, may have informed why Atiku Abubabakar, a former Nigerian Vice President , during Olusegun’s Obasanjo’s Administration and Presidential Candidate of the Opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has pledged in Katsina, Kebbi and other northern states where he had Campaigned at different times, to seek the people’s support for the 2023 , general elections that he will reopen all the country’s land borders that were closed by Buhari in 2019, if elected the Nigerian President to facilitate free movement of goods and services.

Hear him: I will open all the borders that have been closed by Buhari over the last three years,noting that he is more knowledgeable on border issues than all the other 17 Political parties Presidential Candidates , including Asiwaju Ahme Bola Tinu of the APC and Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra state and flag bearer of the Labour Party, LP.

He may have his reason of going to upturn Buhari’s decision of closing the nation’s land borders with Benin, Niger and Caroon ”to foster trade and investment in Nigeria and the neighbouring countries”. ’Nobody should stop us from trading with neighbours, he insists.

Lai Mohammed, mister of Information and ulture, has asked Nigerians to ireject Atiku, the PDP, Candidate , who has said that would reverse all the efforts that had been made by Buhari to achieve self –sufficiency in he production of rice and other staple food items in the country if elected the next President of Nigeria after the February 25,2023,Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The Buhari minister of Information and Culture, who could not hide his feelings had told Nigerian farmers who may routing for Atiku, for giving his promise to reopen the country’s closed land borders with neigbouring countries of Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon,, that the millions of them would lose the jobs s imported rice would flood the country at very cheap price.

He had said that hundreds of Nigerians working in various rice mills that have sprung up in different parts of Nigeria may be forced to lose their jobs. He noted that with Atiku plan to open the country’s shut borders for improved trade with neighbours also has its implications as the new fertilizer blending Companies, may witness drop in patronage , with thousands of people losing their jobs. The fear in both official and uofficial circles is that if Atiku, the PDP, Presidential Candidate,wins the 2023, Presidential elections and he goes ahead to fulfill hi electioneering Campaign promises of reopening the country’s border with neighbouring countries, it will turn the country to net importer of foreign rice and worsen the security challenges of the county as arms and ammunitions would flood the country unhindered

Peter Obi, the LP, Presidential Candidate, who has taken his Campaign to Borno state, under the siege of the Islamic Fundamentalist Group, BokoHaram and the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, may have seen the reopening of The Nigeria and Chad closed border as the major problem of the state that is ravaged by poverty but had promised ‘’to eradicate poverty in the entire north east, which is Atiku, the PDP, Presidential Candidate region. ‘’ ‘’We would pull the children of the northern region out of poverty.

He may have won the heart of the people when he said that the LP, government would be celebrated in the north because part of the problem in the region is poverty that have been imposed on the children by past Administrations. Senator Tinubu, APC, Presidential Flag bearer, who has taken his Campaigns to Anambra, Zamfara and Taraba, home state of Theophilous Danjuma, a retired Army General and former minister of Defense, during Olusegun Obasanjo’s Administrations, where he was said to have promised toidustrialise.

In Taraba state, particular, the APC, Presidential Candidate, who may have taken advantage of the agricultural and raw materials potential in the state to assure the people of going ‘’to improve the agriculture and mining sectors in the state.

Meanwhile, the Socio-economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, had urged the President to probe the attack on Obi, the LP, Presidential , by hoodlums in Katsina, the Katsina state Capital on his way to the Airport to catch his flight . Kolawale Oluwadare, a Director in SERAPA, who has asked Buhari to direct Usman Alkali Baba, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, to properly investigate the incident and other cases of elected –related intimidation , harassment and violence across the country, had had said that it is the only way the government will prove to Nigerians that the attack , described as one of the front-line Presidential Candidates for the 2023 , general elections, was not planned to embarrass him and inject fear him into him that he is not wanted in the north.