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Food Scarcity: We Will Take Control Of Borders, Seaports In South-West — Igboho

Igboho said not only the borders would be opened, the sea ports in Apapa, Lagos state would be taken over and all the leaders of Fulani extraction sacked.

Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has said that he is going to open up the borders in the South-West to allow foodstuffs to come in, particularly rice.

Igboho, who spoke at a meeting of major Yoruba stakeholders, said not only the borders would be opened, the sea ports in Apapa, Lagos state would be taken over and all the leaders of Fulani extraction sacked.

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He said: “After this discussion, we will hold a meeting and open our borders so that rice, food and other things can enter easily. Enough is enough. All our borders that the Nigerian government closed, we are telling them we are no longer under them, we will go and open the borders.

“Our ports in Lagos here are all run by Fulanis, we don't want them from now on, even at our airports, we no longer want the Fulani leaders there. Whatever the government wants to do, they should do it. We are ready. Some people say Yoruba people are not united, we are! If you want to try us, touch one of us."

Nigeria shares border with the Benin Republic across its southwestern parts. The high volume of transborder trading occurs through the Seme Border lying west of Lagos. Traders in the region often bring their goods through the border as it offers cheaper costs compared to the nation’s ports.

Economic activities around the border have however been crippled since the closure of all land borders by the Buhari regime.

Of recent, the cattle and foodstuff dealers under the aegis of the Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria (AUFCDN) embarked on a nationwide strike following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum given to the Nigerian government to attend to their demands.

The AUFCDN said the union was demanding protection of its members, payment of N475 billion compensation for lives of members and properties lost during the #EndSARS protest and Shasa market, Ibadan chaos.

The Grand Matron of AUFCDN, Hajia Hauwa Kabir Usman, while giving an update during an interview with Daily Trust, warned the police not to disturb the ask force of the union who will carry out enforcement of the strike by ensuring that no food and cattle were moved from North to the South.

Usman said, “The leadership of the union has already made a strong plan to ensure that all our exits (our borders) between the Northern and Southern part are closed.

“Every truck that will go out has to be checked. If you carry any food or cattle, you cannot take it out except you take it back or be destroyed there. None of the security agents should dare intimate our task force members because if they do, we will fight it legally.”

The South-West during the period of the strike suffered scarcity of food items in the market which prompted the socio-political organization, Afenifere to declare the ‘Anything But Cow Day' campaign.

Topics
Economy