The Federal Government’s land border closure with her West Africa’s neighbours since August 19 in an exercise code-named ‘Swift Response’ has unwittingly brought about trade tension between the country and her neighbours leading to unintended consequences. One of them is the threat to telecom services, reports LUCAS AJANAKU.
President Muhammadu Buhari appears not to be bothered by the wailings that have greeted the closure of the country’s land borders with its neighbours in the West African neighbours. While cross border crimes such as smuggling of rice, small arms and many others are said to have reduced tremendously, the action has nonetheless recorded devastating unintended consequences.
Government said it will curb illicit importation and improve local manufacturing of goods.
Ostensibly encouraged by the ‘successes’ the action has recorded, the Federal Government has extended the closure to Jan. 31 next year
The extension is necessary to achieve the government’s strategic objectives, the newspaper reported, an official the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) Victor Dimka, was quoted to have said, adding that the operation has resulted in security and economic benefits.
The blockade has had a ripple effect across West Africa, with factories and traders struggling to import key raw materials and having to use alternative routes for their exports, according to the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).
“That date is not the terminal date for the border closure, it is the end of the first phase. The border will remain closed until set objectives are achieved,” Customs spokesman, Joseph Attah said confirmed.
Threat to telecoms services
Telcos under the aegis of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has warned that the directive of the NCS to suspend the supply of petroleum products to filling stations within 20km of all border areas, could compromise telecoms operations in the country with serious devastating effect on quality of service (QoS).
Its Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, said due to the directive, trucks that supply diesel to all telecoms sites and base transceiver stations (BTS) around the border areas were denied passage to reload telecoms sites.
He warned that if the directive was not reversed immediately, it could lead to shutdown of telecoms sites that are interlinked to others in the area and eventually lead to service disruption and degradation in the country.
The carriers therefore urged the telecoms regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and the Federal Government to urgently intervene to avoid breakdown of telecoms services in the country.
In a letter dated November 8, 2019, addressed to the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, the ALTON Chairman raised the implications of the Customs directive and called for quick intervention.
In the letter, ALTON chairman, Adebayo, said: “So far, the Nigeria Customs Service has stopped our members’ trucks in Kebbi, Kano and Calabar from supplying diesel to the telecoms sites within the border areas, which may lead to total shut down of Communications systems and services and by implication worsen the security operations within those areas.
“We urgently request the immediate intervention of the NCC and the Federal Government because by midday of November 9, major hub sites carrying heavy traffic will be shut down due to lack of diesel.”
Pantami steps in
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami has urged the NCS to allow fuel trucks access to border towns and remote villages.
His spokesperson, Mrs Uwa Suleiman, in a statement, said the access is to enable mobile network operators to power their generators to provide services to their customers.
The NCS had also announced a ban on petroleum products to Nigerians living within 20 kilometres of an international border.
No fewer than 57 borders have been shut across the country since August as the government intensified steps to limit foreign products into Nigeria.
In the statement, Mr Pantami said officers of NCS deployed to border towns should identify drivers carrying petroleum supplies and grant them concession.
Mr Pantami urged the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to address the vexed issue of telecoms infrastructure vandalism in many parts of the country.
He advised the governors of the affected states to take prompt actions to ensure protection of critical infrastructure.
“Numerous complaints reaching the Minister’s office allege that men of the service(Customs), especially around border towns where BTS (Base Transceiver Stations) are located, deny passage to petrol tank drivers, thereby denying them access to refuel generators supplying power to these base stations. The effects of these acts are a threat to national security and economic growth and cannot be ignored.
“The Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, while applauding the revived efforts of the NCS in tackling the activities of smugglers, however, urges the Service to direct its officers deployed to these locations, to identify and grant concession to genuine drivers carrying petroleum supplies to remote locations and are a critical link in the chain. The Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) of President Muhammadu Buhari is centred around a Digital Economy and the telecoms sector, occupies a central position in the scheme of things. It is of utmost importance that public institutions collaborate and form partnerships that will ensure the security and prosperity of all Nigerians,” Dr Pantami was quoted to have said in the statement.
No respite
ALTON has put the nation on notice about its helplessness on the inevitability of service disruptions.
Its Head of Operations, Gbolahan Awonuga, in a statement, said: “Please be informed that our members have not received any intervention from the Federal Government in order to discharge fuel to the BTS sites around border town.
“Our members diesel trucks on legitimate duties were impounded by the Customs officials and due to inability to supply fuel, some of the cell sites are already shutting down for lack of diesel.
“We appeal to the government to grant our members permit to deliver fuel to their various sites.
“Please be informed that any network downtime in the border towns is not necessarily the fault of the service providers but as a result of embargo placed on supply of fuel.”
Credit: The Nation
