The national president of Amalgamated Union of Food Stuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria (AFUCDN), Comrade Muhammed Tahir, has been invited by the Department of State Security over the ongoing strike by the members of the union.
The union had been on strike for five days now following what they described as harassment, intimidation, killing, and destruction of goods belonging to it members across Nigeria.
Speaking with Journalists in Abuja Monday, the General Secretary of the union, Comrade Ahmed Alarama, said the task force put in place by the union to monitor compliance to the directives to proceed on strike are being intimidated by the Nigerian Army.
He said the union is worried that despite several letters written to all security agencies including the Army, intimating them about the industrial action, the Army chooses to harass and intimidate it members.
He specifically mentioned Zaria in Kaduna state, Jebba in Niger state, Tella in Taraba state and Lokoja in Kogi state as notorious places where the Army have been intimidating members of the union.
Comrade Alarama called on the well-meaning individual to prevail on both the government and Army to stop intimidating the members who are demanding for a just course.
The union scribe however, urged members of the union to remain resolute and continue with the action until the demands are met.
“We have received a report from Zaria in Kaduna state, Jebba in Niger state, Tella in Taraba state, and Lokoja in Kogi state that our members have been intimidating by the Nigeria Army; the Army are intimidating our taskforce.
“our dismay is that we wrote all the security agencies, including the Army informing them about our strike but unfortunately the Army is decided to be harassing us therefore we want to use this opportunity to inform Nigerians in General over the situation.
“Our members have been maltreated nationwide by the Army. We are not criminal, our members have contributed immensely to both peace and economic growth therefore we reject the maltreatment by the army in these four places we mention, to this end, we called on our members nationwide to remain resolute and committed to the action which continues unless our demands are met”.
On whether the government has invited the union for a meeting, the general secretary said “Though we are yet to be called for dialogue by any government officials, but the Kogi state Governor has invited us for a meeting today (Monday) which we just return for this press briefing and also our president is with the DSS now and yet to be free”.
On the success of the strike, comrade Alarama said “We can say our strike is a success because our aim is to cut the supply of food and other goods to the south and the western part of Nigeria”.
Some of the demands by the union are “The federal government of Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately revisit our demands written at various times to address the bedeviling issues, which include but not limited to compensations of lives and properties lost.
“To protect the rights of our members while on transit and at their places of doing business.
“To dismantle illegal roadblocks mounted on the highways by hoodlums in total disregard to laws of the federal republic of Nigeria, most especially from Adamawa, Taraba, and Benue down to Port Harcourt.
“To draw an agreement between state governments and amalgamated union of foodstuff and cattle dealers of Nigeria, that henceforth if any violence of any nature erupted in that state and our members are attacked, we will not hesitate to immediately withdraw our services”.
