A traditional ruler in Ogun State, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, has decried the continued closure of borders along the western corridors.
Akinyemi, who is the Eselu of Iselu in Yewa North Local Government Area, on Monday, at a press conference to mark his birthday, lamented the ongoing closure of borders, particularly in Ogun State, saying the action had severely affected communities in and around his domain.
The first-class traditional ruler hinted that several efforts made to ensure the reopening of the borders had not yielded any positive results.
He said, “To me, we’ve been making a lot of calls, write-ups, media chats to the authorities, but when you look at the reason why they closed the border and why they’ll not open it, it’s like having a crack between the economic policy of Mr. President and the people living in that area.”
He wondered why the borders are still closed, even after the federal government had removed the fuel subsidy.
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“They believe that petrol is being smuggled to Benin, Niger Republic and the rest, and that is affecting the economy. But that was initially, when there was subsidized fuel. Now, if the government says it has taken away subsidy, and we’re buying at a high rate, why is the border still closed?
“Up till now the border is still closed—you can’t even take five litres outside Nigeria, even the border communities within 20 to 25 kilometres. It’s a common question, but nobody has given a clear answer,” he added.
The monarch said it is unrealistic for traditional rulers not to participate in politics, stating that politics is interwoven with the traditional institution, especially in a democratic setting.
He said, “The truth of it is that it’s like taking salt out of the soup if any Kabiyesi says he’s not engaging in politics,” Oba Akinyemi told journalists.
“Ask him who is his local government chairman, state governor—are they not politicians? Who are the ministers of the state—are they not politicians? If you get one or two things in the community, are they not through them? You cannot take salt from soup.”
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