Senator Okorocha — What closure of borders will do to Nigerians

Senator Okorocha

Sen. Rochas Okorocha commended the Federal Government for closing land borders, saying that the measure would motivate Nigerians to look inside for better ways of feeding themselves.

Okorocha made the remark at the Government House, Kano on Saturday, as she answered questions from newsmen.
“I think closing the border means we should start looking for better ways of feeding ourselves inwardly. By creating such an atmosphere, people are now beginning to understand why we should be self-reliant and ensure food safety, “he said.
Okorocha, Imo’s immediate past governor, said that more needs to be done by the federal government to track drug trafficking across illegal borders.

He noted that it was a difficult task as it involved managing the bushes around neighboring countries because there were more than 3,000 entry points in the country.
“This nation has been a consuming nation for too long and not a productive nation. As we are not economically independent, this has also made our own issues more worrying.

“For virtually everything we eat and use, we rely on other countries; and that’s not good for our youth and the unborn generation.

“So, closing the border is creating awareness for us to start consuming what we are making. They should therefore take more realistic strategies to ensure that they encourage young people and others to look inward and create the products we import, “he said.

Related story: President Buhari Approves January 31, 2020 Date To Reopen Land Border

Okorocha also called for a new approach and style in the fight against crime and criminality in the country. “We should change our style and approach in fighting crime, because we have adopted same method of fighting crime for a number of years with low results.

“If you keep doing the same old thing, the same old way, you’re going to keep getting the same results and if you do the same style over and over you don’t get results, you’re going to fail the same style,” he explained.
He said it was time for the federal government to develop new ideas to curb crime in the country as the country’s security challenges took on different dimensions.