The Leadership of Cattle and Foodstuff dealers under the aegis of Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria, have agreed to resume
The Leadership of Cattle and Foodstuff dealers under the aegis of Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria, have agreed to resume the movement of food supplies from the northern part of the country to the southern region.
It was gathered that the agreement was reached when the leadership of the trade union met with Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State in Abuja. Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode was also at the meeting.
About a week ago, northern traders had embarked on a strike over the alleged killing of their members in the southern part of the country. Prices of food commodities had gone over the roof with many southerners groaning and complaining about the increase.
The General Secretary, AUFCDN, Ahmed Alaramma, had said that the Department of State Services had invited the President of their association, Mohammed Tahir, over the blockade.
The northern traders had also called on the Federal Government to pay them billions in compensation.
Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere; activist Sunday Adeyemo more popularly known as Sunday Igboho, and others had threatened to launch a campaign against cows in protest against the development. Similarly, a coalition of Niger Delta militants had threatened to stop oil and gas supply to the North if the food blockade continued.
Earlier today, northern traders had vowed to continue the food blockade in spite of being at risk of losing their perishable goods.
Awwalu Aliyu, an official of the union stated that the aim of the food blockade is not to starve Southerners but to protest against the killing and destruction of properties belonging to Northerners.
When asked of members of the union were not concerned about food items locked up inside trucks in Jebba, Niger state, going bad and leading to losses, Aliyu said; “It would be better to lose the food items than to lose lives. You’re talking about losing goods; which one is better, to lose a life or to lose property? Losing property is better than losing a life.
“We prefer and our people will prefer to lose those farm items or goods than to continue losing their lives. If you are alive, you can plant another thing, you can rear another cattle. But if you’re dead, you can’t do that again. Only the living can go to the farm.
