By olasunkomi akoni & monsur olowwopejo
LAGOS — Governor Babatunde Fashola Lagos State, has criticised the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, led Federal Government’s policy to allow free importation of household items into the country, saying “such step is an economic tragedy for the nation.”

He called for an immediate reversal of the policy.

Governor Fashola, who spoke at the official commissioning of the 17th Skill Acquisition Centre, at Mushin, said that the reason presented by the government showed its inability to control smuggling at the country’s border, and was not enough to allowing importation of banned items.

He said: “I have become particularly worried by the recent policy of the Federal Government to allow importation of furniture, toothpicks, textiles and vehicles of 15 years into the country.”

He stressed that the frenzy of importation had killed the local economy leading to high rate of unemployment, arguing that smuggling could be tamed by well structured security mechanisms.

He said: “This policy decision is not the answer to the problem of smuggling. The answer to the problem of smuggling lies on a methodical and multi-dimensional response.

“It includes the strengthening of the Customs through technology such as scanners.”

Fashola urged the FG to reverse the policy on importation and concentrate on stimulating the growth of the local industry through accelerated electricity supply, saying that “our freight forwarders, our customs and our ports will become busier from a positive reversal of fortunes that is driven by an export oriented economy rather than an import driven economy”.

He recalled that the 93, 000 pieces of costumes used at the 2010 Lagos carnival were made locally, saying that the state has evolved a people oriented policy of patronising the local manufacturers and entrepreneurs in favour of their foreign counterparts.

He stressed that the decision to site skill acquisition centres in different parts of the state was part of the administration’s resolve to encourage young people acquire vocational skills and create an avenue to make money and sustain themselves.

He revealed that the Mushin centre was the 17 centre commissioned by his administration expected to admit over 6000 students annually.

Earlier, the state commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, whose ministry facilitated the construction of the centre said that so far, over 60,000 grassroots women and youths have been trained through the acquisition centres.