First Deputy Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament Hon. Ahmed Wase disclosed that the temporary closure of Nigeria’s land borders has improved the security situation within the country.
Hon Wase while addressing the Second Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament on Wednesday in Abuja said that the criticism by neighbours over the border closure was unfair because Nigeria has always considered and looked after other African nations.
Adding that the ban on rice importation, the importation of arms has drastically reduced because most of the rice brought into Nigeria had arms packed inside.
“From the close of these borders, Nigeria has started seeing some changes in its security. These borders have not just been used for the purpose of importing goods.
“From the day we closed our borders, Nigeria has now started seeing peace. I want to confirm to the World that even the so-called insurgency has now stopped.
“This is because the same border is where the arms are coming through, they will package rice but inside it, they would put arms and bring into Nigeria.
“No country would support that. If we do that to you I don’t think you would accept it. ”Even the human trafficking that is taking place, that is the common route. If Nigeria goes into disarray, I don’t think any West Africa countries can contain us,” he said.
“We have a protocol, the protocol is very clear: No country in the ECOWAS sub-region is allowed to export into another country what it does not produce.
“This means that by our own actions we want to be self-sufficient, we do not want to be dumping grounds, we want to encourage production.
“This is not acceptable to Nigeria and I believe that as good citizens and as MPs, we should encourage our citizens to be productive.
“The population we have should not just be a number in size, it should be number that can be helpful to the nation of Africa and to the world,” he added.
