2023: FG Condemns Atiku's Promise to Re-open Border

BY: News Peddlers

Atiku Abubakar

The Federal Government has condemned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar's pledge to reopen all Nigerian borders if elected president.

Mr. Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party's presidential candidate, made the pledge during a campaign rally in Katsina on Tuesday.

However, Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, stated that Atiku, in his desperation for power, would not hesitate to return Nigeria to the era of unrestricted inflow of weapons and massive food importation to the detriment of local farmers.

The minister spoke at the 15th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari, PMB, Administration Scorecard Series on Thursday in Abuja.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi, was a guest at the scorecard initiative, which was launched as part of efforts to highlight the achievements of the Buhari administration.

According to the minister, if Atiku's pledge is implemented, millions of Nigerians will lose their jobs, as well as the fertiliser companies and rice mills that have grown exponentially since Nigeria closed its land borders in 2019.

He went on to say that Mr. Atiku's proposed policy would worsen Nigeria's security situation by opening all borders and allowing a massive inflow of small arms and light weapons into the country.

According to Mr Mohammed, Mr Atiku's statement informed Nigerians that he would reverse all efforts made by the Buhari administration to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of many staples, particularly rice.

He went on to say that when imported rice floods the country, millions of rice farmers will lose their jobs, as will hundreds of thousands of Nigerians working in the various rice mills established by the Buhari administration.

"By that statement, Alhaji Atiku will shut down most, if not all, of our new fertiliser blending companies, with thousands of jobs going down the drain.

"Also, by his declaration, the former vice president has told Nigerians that he will worsen security in the country by allowing unrestricted access to arms and ammunition," he added.

According to the minister, the Buhari administration increased the number of fertiliser blending plants in the country from 10 in 2015 to 142 currently, as well as the number of rice mills from 10 in 2015 to 80 integrated rice mills.

He also revealed that ten large-scale integrated rice mills are being built across the country.

"His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, may also want to know that while Nigeria was the number one export destination for rice in 2014, our country has now moved to number 79, according to Thai Authorities.

"By promising to open the borders indiscriminately, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has simply announced that he intends to make Nigeria the number one importer of Thai rice in 2023!"

"For the sake of expediency, Alhaji Atiku, a former Customs Officer who rose to the pinnacle of his career, is ready to reverse the gains made since 2015 in bringing Nigeria closer to self-sufficiency in staples production," he said.

Mr Mohammed warned that Atiku's promise was a red flag to Nigerians who, in accordance with the president's admonition, had been striving to "produce what they eat and eat what they produce."

NAN