The attention of the press was drawn to the fast devastating approach of the Atlantic Ocean at the Seme Krake border. This came up as the media men were waiting for the official press briefing of the Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu, using Seme border. It could be noted that Comptroller Ejibunu was recently appointed as the coordinator of the anti-bunkering outfit after his redeployment from Federal Operations Unit, Zone 'A' Ikeja. While the seized Petroleum product PMS were carefully being arranged and displayed for the press briefing with the assistance of the host Customs Area Controller CAC, Comptroller Timi Bomodi, the host CAC decided to take the journalists around the border. At the beach, it was a horrible sight that should require an urgent attention of the Federal Government before it is too late. It could be observed that the Atlantic beach at the back of the residential blocks of the Customs and Immigration
officers is just between 100 to 150 meters originally. The ocean surge which started recently has already destroyed more than 50 meters, pulling off the concrete barriers between the sand base and the tarred road. With the rate at which the surge is taking place the tarred road at the back of the barrack may not survive the end of this year 2024. This also drew the attention of this media to have and over view of the surroundings of the border facilities. This time the center of concentration was on the Freight Forwarders business offices which has turned to a ghost town since the closure of the border. These offices which were built by the Customs brokers cost them millions of naira as the offices were built to withstand the corrosiveness of the ocean salt water. Despite the reinforcement, many of the offices are now collapsing due to lack of maintenance. The worst scenario is that more than 60% of the owners are dead or seriously pinned down by stroke and other terminal illnesses. The reasons are not farfetched. It could be noted that many of these agents as they are generally referred to lost so much money they invested on their freight forwarding business as a result of the border closure. When people eulogize the present administration of President Ahmed Tinubu and the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi MFR, it is because they operated with human face. How can one describe the sudden closure of Nigerian borders by the former administration of Muhammadu Buhari without a minute notice? This action affected the Southwest borders which were generating revenue to the Federal Government coffers. There were consignments still on their way on the sea en-route Benin Seaports for Nigerian importers. There were many containers expected to be cleared by these resident agents. So many have already been paid for and processed in advance in line with customs clearing procedures in other to avoid demurrage. Some of these agents borrowed money from the banks with their properties as collaterals but when these goods could not be allowed in after perpetual waiting for months that run to years, it started affecting the existence of these agents. As at the time the new
Comptroller General of Customs visited Seme border barely a year ago, on assumption of office, 67 Freight Forwarders and their allies were reported to have lost their lives from this quagmire. In the address presented to the CGC by the then Chairman of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA Onyekach Ojinma, this fatal lost were recorded on his report which was given to the CGC. Unfortunately, since that visit a year ago, four more have lost their lives as two are yet to be buried as at the time of writing this.
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