A senator representing Kebbi Central, Senator Adamu Aliero, has condemned the closure of the border between Nigeria and the Republic of Niger, stating that it is detrimental to the economy, News About Nigeria reports.
Aliero made this known while speaking on Arise Television on Tuesday, stating that Nigerians are the ones suffering the consequences of the closed border.
The two-time governor of Kebbi State noted that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) directive to close the border was not necessary and deserved to be revisited and reversed.
According to him, so many trucks coming into the country with goods from different countries are stuck at the border because of the sanction by ECOWAS, adding that it was not good for the country’s economy, which is still trying to stabilise.
He further disclosed that federal lawmakers from the affected states in the North have met and called on the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, open the border for business activities.
He also noted that the closure of the border has cost the country more, including a breach in the agreement that was had with the Niger Republic on the dredging of a dam supplying electricity to the country.
The senator added that this was also a result of the government’s decision to cut off the light supply to the Niger Republic.
Aliero maintained that most of the countries under the ECOWAS did not observe the sanctions it outlined for the Niger Republic, adding that the sanctions only had negative effects on ordinary citizens and not the military junta as was expected.
