By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The on-going blockade of vehicles carrying food items from the Northern states to the Southern part of Nigeria at Jebba, may continue except compromise is reached with the striking members of the Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Sellers Association.
This much was disclosed Monday by Malam Awwal Aliyu, Spokesman for Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Sellers Association while speaking on African Independent Television (AIT) breakfast programme ‘Kaakaki’
According to him the blockade of Jebba road so that trucks cannot take foodstuffs to the Southern part of Nigeria will continue until their demands are met by the authorities.
Prompt News reports that there has been conflicting news that trucks carrying livestocks and farm produce especially perishable goods from Northern parts of the country are stranded at Jebba, the gateway to Southern Nigeria as members of Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Sellers Association have barricaded the road.
Although latest reports say law enforcement agencies have been trying to clear the blocked Jebba road, Aliyu insisted that members will not take their wares to the Southern part of the country until their grievances are met by the authorities.
The Spokesman for the group listed some of their grievances to include the alleged distruction of their goods in the recent fracas at Shasha Food Market in Oyo state and continued harassment of their members in the Southern Nigeria.
“We will not clear the blocked Jebba road inspite of the harassment of the security agencies because we want our grievances to be addressed. Our members are being mistreated in the South West, South East and South South. And until our misgivings are addressed, our members will not take our goods to the Southern part of Nigeria”, Aliyu insisted.
Asked if the Union has channelled its demands to the appropriate quarters, Aliyu claimed that the Federal Government, foreign governments and even international bodies have been petitioned but nothing has come out of it.
Said he: We have petitioned the President, National Security Adviser (NSA), Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief of Staff to the President (CoS), Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), United Nations (UN), British Parliament and US Congress, etc but we are yet to get responses”.
Aliyu opined that except a truce is found, the blockade at Jebba will continue.
