The Amalgamated Union of Foodstuffs and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria, has called off the industrial action days after it embarked on food blockade to the Southern part of Nigeria.
The decision to call off the strike followed Wednesday’s intervention by the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello at the Governor’s lodge in Abuja with the union and the Northern Consensus Movement.
The Union led by the president, Dr Mohammed Tahir as well as Chairmen of the Union across the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT and critical stakeholders were in attendance.
Also present at the meeting was the former Minister for Aviation,Femi Fani-Kayode.
Addressing journalists at the end of the closed door meeting, Dr Tahir commended Governor Bello for wading into the crisis and ensuring that it was resolved noting that the Governor has demonstrated leadership which both parties greatly appreciated.
“With this development, the Union members will commence the movement of their products especially cattle, vegetables and other foodstuffs to the Southern part of Nigeria and vice versa”, he stated.
He explained that the embargo was a way to express the grievances of members of the association, following alleged attacks on some members of the association during the #EndSARS protest and Shasha Market crisis in Ibadan.
Tahir said that the association had chosen to toe the line of peace in resolving the matter, rather than carrying out reprisal attacks on fellow Nigerians.
“Instead of a reprisal attack, the only civil way to make our voices heard was to cut the supply of food and that has worked.
“We did not do that to punish the south or make them starve but to make our voices heard and get a response to our demands and let our people know that something was being done over their plight.
“We demand compensation for those who died in the South and attention for those still in the hospital. We demand that those who perpetrated these crimes should be punished.
We want our people to be assured of their safety as they go about their lawful businesses.
“We want harassment by law enforcement agencies on our federal highways to 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.
