The Interview Editors
Atedo Peterside, founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, has berated the Nigerian government for letting only Dangote Industries transport its goods across the country’s supposedly shut borders.
You may recall that the federal government had closed Nigeria’s land borders to its West African neighbours since last year in a bid to reduce smuggling, and also boost rice production in the country.
However, the shut borders has continually cost untold sufferings among the populace as businesses whose transactions are across the border recorded losses and prices in rice and other commodities had to go up.
Reacting to a Bloomberg report on Monday that the Dangote Industries has been exempted from the border closure, Peterside on Tuesday said the exemption shouldn’t be for only Dangote, but should also include every legitimate importers and exporters who need to move their goods across the borders.
“Allowing legitimate exporters and importers to move their goods across the border should be a no-brainer.
“Why refuse everybody else and allow only one company (Dangote)?
According to him, exempting only Dangote can on give credence to existing notion that the government plays economic favouritism.
“This is why some of us argue that the Nigerian economy is rigged in favour of a handful of well-connected persons,” he added.
