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Q. You had a motion on the floor customs should be up and doing Q. There are insinuations that
of the house stating that the closure given that goods are still smuggled most of the smugglers connives with
of the border was not enough to in even as the borders are closed, the security agents to carry out this
arrest the influx of illegal migrants what do you have to say about act, what measures do you think
into the country, we will like you to that. can be used to checkmate this.
shed more light on what necessitat- A. What I will say is that the A. Well, there is no how you
ed the motion. agency that is concerned should can have a full proof system in
A. Thank you very much, my rise up and do its duties the DG place, certainly you have some
name is Prince Rotimi Agunsoye customs has a lot to do, yes they bad eggs in the system, but in a
Representing Kosofe Federal are doing very well in the area of situation where you can achieve
Constituency of Lagos State. Yes generating revenue for the gov- about 70%-80% success it means
I said the closure of border is not ernment, but if you are generating you are serious and you are mov-
enough, if you look critically, you revenue and the source is opened, ing forward, as for us the law
will see that this present govern- porous and you cannot stop people makers we cannot carry gun but
ment is prepared to ensure that the from smuggling goods then our aim we will ensure moving motions
security and welfare of the people of closing the borders is defeated, and bills that will help the system
are been taken care of which is cause as you have said rightly said move forward and that is exactly
the reason why the government that they still smuggle goods into what we are doing here, we can
is there, to look after the people, the country, despite all these we in all sincerity say that the Federal
and we have never had it this way must give kudos to government for Government is trying but they
that our borders will be closed for taking the giant step of closing the should try more.
just one week before now and now border. Custom should rise up in Q. Finally in terms of food
since the government is prepared all sincerity of purpose to do what sufficiency what our farmers pro-
to ensure we move to the next they have to do by not allowing duce hardly gets to the consum-
level, taking stringent decisions and goods to be smuggled across the ers, which is one of the reasons
actions that can move the nation border into our great country, why people said we are not ripe
forward. Nigeria remains the giant of Africa. enough to close our borders, no
To achieve this, first is the border The moment the borders were good road to transport produce,
closure, the next one to be done closed all the countries sharing our no stable power to preserve them
is to ensure that illegal aliens are borders started sweating and till and even manufacturing compa-
sent packing, because if you are now they are still sweating and that nies that should make use of these
preparing for 200 million and you is the reason why they are attack- produce are folding up due to lack
have close to 250 million people ing our people in their countries, of power, how would you react to
then your plans have been dis- they will still attack more, but we this.
torted, how do we survive as the are reasonable people here, we A. You see we should learn
neighboring countries are feeding don’t need to fight, we will keep to stay with what we have; if we
on us, imagine a situation where moving, we will keep hitting our are saying it is because we don’t
they will import goods to their targets, till we get to the next level have good roads that is why the
country, collect duties on those and also; the minister for interior border shouldn’t be close, then I
goods and send the goods to is a man that we know that he’s will not support that as we can see
Nigeria through these porous bor- up and doing; he will ensure that that the ministry of works is work-
ders, to move forward we need to immigration will do the needful to ing on all the roads, the minister
do what China did during the time not allow illegal immigrants into is even aging as a result of all the
of Yama Maho, when he called our country. works he’s doing in the ministry
his people together and said they Q. This measure, wouldn’t it and if you look at other ministers in
don’t need any foreigners to solve affect the prices of food stuff espe- their sectors, they are not sleeping
their problems, it is better we go cially rice. also; we cannot say because we
the same way. A. We have enough food in don’t have enough, we will open
Today China is one of those coun- this country and our farmers are our borders to bring in all sort
tries in the world that we are look- there producing, and they should of goods that will not solve our
ing up to, if we can send those that get those produce to the citizens, problems. If we can stay with what
are in the country illegitimately what I will advise is that they we have yes it’s not enough but in
away. It will help cater for those should try as much as possible to another six months, to one year
that are here legally and Nigerians calm down on the export of our we will be laughing by the special
in particular. agricultural produce, let us have grace of God and with all serious-
Q. There have been agitations enough that can feed us within the ness in every sector, all of us will
that aside closing the borders and country before we can start export- be laughing.
deporting illegal migrants that the ing.

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