The Onion Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (OPMAN) has said it will stop supply to southern Nigeria beginning from Monday if government fails to respond to their demands.
Daily Trust gathered that one of OPMAN’s demands is that its members who had suffered losses as a result of ethno-religious crises in the South be duly compensated.
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Others include restoration of law and order in those areas as well as a thorough investigation to uncover the remote causes of those attacks on their members.
OPMAN also called on the host communities to respect the constitutional rights of northern traders in their respective states.
Addressing journalists after the association’s meeting in Sokoto at the weekend, OPMAN President Aliyu Isa noted that members of the association lost onions and property worth about N4.5 billion in various attacks in the South.
According to him, during the Aba crisis in Abia State, the association lost three members, while about 30 trailers, nine utility cars, 50 stores and 10,000 bags of onions, among other valuables belonging to its members.
In Shasa, Oyo State, he said 27 lives were lost, as five trailers, 5,600 bags of onions, 12 utility vehicles and other valuables were destroyed.
Isah also said their members were robbed of onions worth N13 million in Imo State.
He said, “After full deliberations by the executive members of this association and the failure of government to respond to our cry, we resolved…that we are shutting down the supply of onions to the entire South by Monday, June 7, 2021, unless all our demands are met.”
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