​We all know the former Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, has been making the headlines of recent for all the right reasons of course. Now he has taken the position of an activist and has choose to speak when no one else would on the plights of Nigerians who are victims in the hands of Customs when travelling for the festive season or when travelling for other purposes. Peter Obi called for immediate dismantling of so many Customs and allied check points on the roads in the South East.

Obi made this call when journalists re­quested clarification of his key note address during the end of year meeting of a club on Tuesday according to reports from Authority.

Explaining, Obi said some people visited him at his Onitsha home to com­plain about the hardship people undergo because of countless Customs check points on the roads, espe­cially in the South-East. Ac­cording to him, in a bid to have first hand information about the complaint, he had to travel by road from Lagos to Onitsha.

He described the situ­ation as worrisome and counter productive. Speak­ing further, Obi wondered if the roads in Nigeria have become wharfs or borders to warrant many Customs check points on them.

“We know that Customs police our borders to, among other things, guard against smuggling of banned goods, but if they do this effectively at the borders, as obtainable in other countries, there would not be need for cus­toms check points all over the place.”

Obi noted that he ob­served over 10 check points from Ore to Onitsha. He said that in this time of recession, that what was more wor­risome was that they stop travellers and demand for Customs papers, clearance papers for vehicles, includ­ing those bought several years ago.

“Even families coming home for Christmas were stopped and the rice they were given as gifts in their offices or they bought in open market confiscated under the presence that they are foreign rice.

Obi appealed to the Comptroller General of Customs to look with in­terest at what is happening and to completely overhaul their mode of operations, by targeting those import­ing banned goods at the borders and not innocent Nigerians trying painfully to eek living.