The Executive Chairman of Imeko-Afon Local Government Area in Ogun State, Hon. Tosin Adeluyi has accused security agents of bastardising the good intentions of the Federal Government in sanitising movements across the Nigerian border.
Adeluyi, in a statement he made available to DAILY POST on Tuesday, lauded the closure of the land border with the primary aim of increasing border security and checking the uncontrollable influx of imported food items into the country by the Nigerian Customs Service and other security personnel.
He, however, lamented the insensitivity of security agents at the border communities to the plight of farmers and traders.
According to him, “the ways and manners the security operatives carry out this exercise have denied a lot of farmers who were transporting their goods from their farms in Nigeria to other parts of Nigeria, particularly within Ogun State, access to markets.”
The local government boss expressed worries that if the farmers, who are transporting their farm produce such as: tomatoes, garri, palm oil and others, are not allowed to move their farm produce from their farms to the markets which are all within Nigeria, the actions of the security agents would economically strangulate the farmers and bastardise the federal government’s efforts on agriculture.
He added that farmers and traders are being impoverished by the day as their primary sources of livelihood are being jeopardised.
Adeluyi added, “The multiplier effect would also mean that Nigerians should warm up for increase in prices of tomatoes, yams, garri and other food items because the boarder communities in Imeko-Afon Local Government like Ilara, Idofa, Iwoye and Imeko contribute a lot to the food items being consumed in some states in Nigeria, particularly in Ogun and Lagos States.
“The farmers have protested to the Oloola of Ilara, Oba Samuel Adeluyi and the Onimeko of Imeko, Oba Benjamin Olanite, but sadly, all the pleas by these Obas to see that the innocent farmers do not suffer have fallen on deaf ears.
“It is my prayer that the border closure activities be better coordinated and the Nigerian farmers be allowed free access to Nigerian markets with their farm produce so as to avoid further loss of income to the people of Imeko-Afon Local Government area of Ogun State,” he stated.
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