Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; and a former Minister of
Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, on Wednesday evening led leaders of the Amalgamated
Union of Food and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria to a meeting with the Chief of
Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari.
The meeting which was held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja
afforded the union’s leaders the opportunity to present their demands to the
Presidency after suspending the blockade of supply of foodstuffs and cattle to
the southern part of the country.
The union’s leaders who attended the meeting included the
President, Mohammed Tahir; and the
Secretary General, Ahmed Alaramma.
Gambari told State House correspondents at the end of the
meeting that their demands will be presented to the President, Muhammadu Buhari.
Bello also told reporters that union members had made some
demands that must be met by government to forestall a recurrence.
He said working with Fani-Kayode, he has been able to reach
out to the major stakeholders on both sides,
insisting on the need for peace to reign.
He said, “I have the commitment of the union, in order for
us not to continue to have this hardship across the country, to lift the ban on
food and livestock transportation to the South.
“I have also received major commitment from people from the
South not to attack people of Hausa/Fulani and the traders in the South and
that the criminals among them, irrespective of tribe and religion, should be
handed over to law enforcement agents.
“I have also received the commitment that their lives and
properties will be protected also.
“So, these are the messages we brought to the chief of staff
to convey to the president.”
Bello also spoke on the demand which the traders want the
President to meet.
He added, “Number one
demand is to ensure that their goods and the lives of their members anywhere in
the country are safe.
“On this note, we have brought the demands to Mr. President,
through the Chief of Staff and how we have been able to resolve the matter. The
Chief of Staff is going to convey the message to Mr. President.
“The association demanded that its members that are killed,
they are requiring that compensation be paid for the lives and livelihood that
were destroyed in the South.
“All those who committed those crimes should be brought to
justice, the harassment by law enforcement agencies on our federal highways be
stopped, the extortion by all touts along federal highways, especially from
North East or from the North to South-South and South East, particularly, be
stopped.
“We have presented those demands to the government because
before now, they have reached out to every authority in the land and there
seemed to be no positive response to the demand.
“I have the mandate to resolve the issue. We have been able
to reach out to major actors in the South West to allow peace to reign. We have
received commitment on both sides to sheath their swords.”
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