The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANCLA) has pleaded with the Federal Government to urgently clear 735 trucks loaded with perishable goods now stranded at Seme.
Mr. Bisiriyu Fanu, Seme border Chapter Chairman of ANLCA, made the appeal in an interview on Monday in Seme since August 20.
President Muhammadu Buhari had said at the Seventh Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD7), in Yokohama, Japan that the partial border closure was because of the massive smuggling activities, especially of rice on that corridor.
Fanu said that each of the trucks was carrying over N20 million worth of goods and if not released would amount to loss of billions of revenue. “The importers are not aware of the government policy of border closure and their goods are not illegal.
“Some of the perishable goods have expiring date. If the trucks are not released on time, customers might not buy from the market because the date of expiration will have been closer.
“Presently, we have 403 trucks of goods in the park while 332 are inside the border post bringing it to 735 trucks,’’ he said.