Aisha Umar, Lawal Ibrahim and Shehu Abubakar
5 November 2009
Katsina — The federal government yesterday said Nigeria has not closed its borders with Niger Republic.
The Minister of Information and Communications Dora Akunyili said such report was false and baseless. Daily Trust's report yesterday did not say the border was closed, but many items were not allowed into Niger.
Also Minister of State Foreign Affairs Bagudu Hirse has denied Nigeria has imposed economic sanction on Niger Republic following it suspension from ECOWAS for snubbing the regional body and going ahead to hold parliamentary election.
He said Niger was suspended by Economic Community of West Africa States and that there was no talk of sanction yet.
He added that the contact group mediating on Niger headed by former president Abdulsalam Abukar will meet today in Abuja to dialogue on the situation in the Niger Republic.
According to a source from ECOWAS commission who pleaded anonymity, serious mediation is going on within the commission, because ECOWAS will not fold its arms and allow Niger to go away without serious penalty, which can create room for other West African countries not to take ECOWAS serious when next such issue come up in the region.
Meanwhile, the sanction imposed by Nigeria on neighbouring Niger republic may increase the scarcity and threat hunger, reports from Niger indicated to Daily Trust.
Our correspondent who visited the busy Nigeria, Niger republic borders in Jibia reports that, the border is completely deserted except for security personnel.
The dominant Jibia border transporters who ferried food and textile materials weekly had since the imposition on the sanction last Monday ordered their vehicles out of the Niger republic.
Mallam Haro Balko, a native of Maradi who opened a petty trading shop in Jibia told Daily Trust that he has decided to come to Jibia where he has some relatives in order to be able to fend for his family because the effect of sanctions on Niger is enormous.
"We relied on businessmen from Nigeria for food, fruits and beverages, especially maize, millet, corn and even things like Yams, potatoes and vegetables; but now they are not going in, so we are facing hunger threat."
Reuters News Agency reported yesterday that Nigerian Customs officials have stopped trucks from crossing north into land-locked Niger, blocking all imports, including food stuffs and building materials, Niger transport unions said yesterday
"No truck transporting goods is leaving Nigeria to go to Niger. It is because of the Customs men of that country (Nigeria)," said Sani Askia, spokesman for the truckers union in Zinder, a Nigerien town on the border with Nigeria.
"But people are coming and going freely," he added.
Niger imports cereals, cement, fertilisers, building materials and other manufactured goods from Nigeria. Beans and cattle are sent in the other direction.
Issaka Sido, a member of the transport union in Maradi, another Nigerien border town, also confirmed the blockages but said that Nigerian vehicles were free to return home.
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