Border closure: We are not targeting any country, says Onyeama

Geoffrey Onyeama, foreign affairs minister, says Nigeria’s border closure is not targetted at any country.

Onyeama spoke while briefing journalists after a meeting with Shirley Botchwey, his Ghanaian counterpart in Abuja.

The Ghanaian government had asked the federal government to allow goods from its county into Nigeria.

Botchwey had said Ghanaian traders have incurred huge losses because their goods have been detained for weeks at the Seme border.

But Onyeama said the border closure is only targeting criminal activities.

He disclosed that the meeting between the two countries is aimed at addressing the “collateral damage arising from some mischief”.

He added that after the meeting between the ministers and relevant stakeholders, the challenges militating against the ease of trade between Ghana and Nigeria, especially in relation to the border closure, would be resolved quickly.

“You are here to address the issue of collateral damage to your country as a result of the border closure in place at the moment, “Onyeama said.

“And we are trying to find a way through because the mischief is not related to trade with Ghana.

“We are hoping that from there you will be able to take back positive message to your president, the business, and trade community. And we will sort it out as soon as possible because time is of the essence.

“No country is targeted; we are within ECOWAS; we respect the ECOWAS rules, free movement of persons, and goods and that should continue.

“We are targeting criminal activities and not countries. So, in addressing a particular country’s issues, it would not be a disadvantage to another country because for us, it is a measure to address a particular issue.”

On her part, Bothwey described the meeting as a fruitful one, saying both countries had agreed on modalities to resolve the trade challenges arising from the recent border closure.

“We came here with the issues and within a few minutes of our meeting we have sort of found common grounds in resolving it and from here we would be going to meet with the minister of trade and also the customs boss, “she said.

“We are hoping that quickly, we should resolve the issues so that our exports to Nigeria will continue to have safe passage without any impediment as a result of what is not supposed to affect Ghana negatively.

“For thirty days or so, we have had several trucks that have been stuck at the Benin side of the border.

“They have not been able to cross into Nigeria and hopefully this will be a thing of the past.

“We have agreed on the process that would lead to it being resolved and the first is to give our Nigerian counterparts more details.

“Details of the companies that do business in Nigeria, the kind of business that they do, and the details of the trucks that have been stuck on the Benin side of the border.

“Once we are able to give them that, both sides will determine the modalities that we need to put in place for the safe passage.”