SIR: The plight of residents of Mambilla Plateau in the hands of security check-points in Gembu has reached a new distressing height, especially with the realities of COVID-19, with no end in sight. Gembu, the local government headquarters of Sardauna Local Government Area, Taraba State, is centrally located on the plateau with more than 200 villages and hamlets surrounding it. It is about 60 to 100km from the Nigerian border with Cameroon. The main villages at the border before descending to Cameroon are Dorofi, Hainare, Kanyaka, Bang and Mayo-Dule. And as expected, these villages are manned by heavy security men checking the movement of people going in and out of the Country.

At the outskirts of Gembu, there is heavy presence of the Nigerian Army, Police, Immigration, NSCDC, Customs and the Local Government Council revenue collection officers, as would every other border communities. However, the disturbing aspect of it is that before anyone could enter or go out of Gembu on motorcycle to any of the surrounding villages, one has to pay “clearance” to all the aforementioned agencies ranging from N500 to N1000; even if one is not crossing to Cameroon!


This deplorable situation has worsened with the restrictions of movements due to the global Covid19 pandemic. Local residents now have to “clear” with the sum of N500-N3,000, depending on the load a person carries. Otherwise, such persons would be unjustifiably delayed, and may not be allowed to pass.



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As a result, some residents are forced to leave their motorcycles at home and trek mountains and  valleys about 3-4hrs journey and  even more to Gembu, buy their supplies and trek the same distance back home carrying their supplies on their backs or heads.

This begs the question, since there are security agencies at the border villages of Dorofi, Hainare, Bang, Kanyaka, Mayo-Dule etc. Why are all the security men at the outskirts of Gembu extorting the villages before these borderline villages? Are the Army, Police, NSCDC also collecting revenue for the government? If so, why are they not issuing receipt of payment like L.G Council officers? And why is it that it has to be N200 and above for each security agency?

If communities like Warwar, Gam, Ndarup, Mbamnga, Mang,Dung, Ninge, Kara, Kabri etc are all in Nigeria (which they are) then the local, state and federal government as a matter of urgency need to rescue these Nigerians from the hands of  security check-points at the outskirts of Gembu metropolis. These Nigerians deserves the right to free movement, as enshrined in chapter 41 of the 1999 constitution as amended, without any form of extortion or heavy taxation.

The security agencies are saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives and properties of citizens including vetting people coming in and out of the country, as it applies to border towns like Gembu. But where citizens are being extorted or heavily taxed before they could exercise their constitutionally guaranteed rights of going freely about their normal business activities, it  is repugnant to the spirit of the constitution, equity and good conscience.

Moreover, despite the lockdown banning inter-state and border crossing due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Nigerian-Cameroon border remains very open on the Mambilla Plateau, even with the heavy presence of security men.

It should be noted that the Sardauna Local Government Council of Taraba set up a task force to curtail entry of goods and people from Cameroon. However, at every window period of Wednesdays and Saturdays, we still experience a flow of people come in and out of the Mambilla Plateau; thereby violating the restrictions of movements put in place by the federal, state and local government and also endangering the lives of people on the Plateau and the state as a whole.

This calls for serious concern given the fact that there are no testing equipment in the local government; and should Covid-19 break out, it could be too late before it is discovered because a lot of people would have been infected by then. Not forgetting the fact that the number of Covid-19 cases keeps rising at an alarming rate in both Nigeria and Cameroon with Taraba having about 18 cases so far.

It is high time the border remained permanently closed during this period to avoid stories that touch. There is also the need to have Covid19 testing equipment on the Plateau for early detection in order to safeguard the lives of citizens. A stitch in time, they say, saves nine.

Zebulun Ngwip,
Gembu, Taraba State.

NOTE:

The above piece is entirely the opinion of the writer as stated above and does not in any way represent Rhapsodi Affos Blog.