The checkpoints along Nigeria’s borders with its neighbours violates the basic protocol of the Economic Community of West African States, NEXT has learnt.

The protocol on the free movement of persons, the right of residence and establishment, seeks to achieve a common market and the regional integration of member states.

The Lagos liaison officer of the Community, Philip Ojeme, said it is only Nigeria that has refused to adhere to the protocol, which it signed in 1979.

“At every half kilometre, you encounter checkpoints manned by all sorts of agencies. This is a real problem to the sub-region,” he said. “On a bad day, from the Seme border down to Lagos, you meet over 70 checkpoints and they all ask the same thing, ‘what do you have for us’. They are all unlawful.

“The only approved checkpoints are the entry and exit points at the Seme border. Any person or agency, whether Immigration, Customs, Police or anyone asking for money, don’t give them! Instead, call us and we will arrest such officials. Please let me state it clearly, Visa is free.” The experience of traders, students and tourists on the route is indeed a harsh one. The duplication of checkpoints along the route, says Bayo Adeleke, a student of the University of Legon, makes travelling to Ghana by road a nightmare.

“I would have preferred to go to school by road, but it is actually better to go by air because of all the troubles on the road,” Mr Adeleke said. “It is even easier when you are going to Seme from Nigeria. The return journey is worse. The route that will take you 30 minutes when you are going can take you the whole day on your return. It is really frustrating.” NEXT also learnt that diplomats of the regional body, ECOWAS Commission, were sometimes harassed on the route.

The spokesman for the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), King Ekpedeme, said his agency does not keep several checkpoints along border routes.

“I can tell you that the Nigeria Immigration Service has only one checkpoint between Sèmè and Mile 2 and it is approved by government,” he said. “There are no other checkpoints and I stand to be corrected.” Mr. Ekpedeme explained that the protocol is subject to ECOWAS citizens possessing either their national passport or the ECOWAS travel certificate or their country’s national ID card along with their health certificate. “What you find is that most users on these routes are traders who don’t have any of these documents and decide to follow illegal routes,” he said.

The spokesman of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Wale Adeniyi, also said the checkpoints were mounted because travellers do not follow the procedure of the protocol.

The banned items list

Mr Adeniyi said the realisation of a common market under the ECOWAS Trade Liberation Scheme (ETLS) is dependent on the free movement of persons and goods within the sub-region. He however noted that the ban on the import of many items, made patrols and checkpoints necessary to intercept goods smuggled into Nigeria.

“We have a law that puts more than 40 items on the prohibition list,” he said. “Therefore, those checkpoints are operationally expedient to combat smuggling. It’s not an issue of people questioning us on the number of checkpoints we can have because there’s no law stating we can’t make arrests anywhere. But I know the government is working on removing all checkpoints beyond 40km from the border.” The customs spokesman said diplomats often abused their status, noting instances when diplomatic vehicles were intercepted with smuggled goods.

“Though the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations operates on reciprocity, we need to be assured that diplomatic status is not abused. If they said they were harassed, ask whether they were carrying goods for their embassies or for their personal use,” Mr. Adeniyi said.

But Mr. Ojeme, who doubles as the ECOWAS Librarian, said the Nigerian government’s lack of political will was the reason the protocol is not being implemented. He said in other ECOWAS countries, people move freely without being harassed.

“The IG [Inspector-General of Police] cannot say he doesn’t know his boys mount all those road blocks. If the Nigerian government is really serious about the treaty it signed, it should tell all those illegal checkpoints to clear off. But they won’t, because they know what they gain by remaining there,” Mr. Ojeme said.

The paradox

The Lagos State Police spokesman, Frank Mba, said it is ‘a paradox’ that the police is seen as a hindrance to the free flow of persons and goods in its bid to tackle trans-border crime.

“Yes, overzealous policemen may go outside their statutory roles without institutional backing by the Police Force,” he said. “And our Monitoring Unit has being arresting officers, not only of the police, but also of other agencies who act outside the confines of their duties.” Though he could not say the number of arrests made, Mr. Mba said culprits were either reprimanded, fined (salary reduction), demoted or dismissed - depending on the offence. He denounced the claim that diplomats along the border routes were victimised.

“I am surprised. ECOWAS delegates were always having series of meetings with the commissioner of police and no one has ever mentioned this,” he said. “Besides, we provide them with serious police escorts and every trained police officer is taught how to handle diplomatic matters.”

http://www.234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5450729-146/story.csp

Nigeria is now an embarrassment in west Africa na waoh.