CoronavirusNigeriaPoliticsLockdown: Northern traders Decry Non-Provision of Palliative by FG, state Govt

Amidst economic bites, northern traders have decried the federal and state governments’ failure to extend any form of palliative to them in view of the lockdown order imposed on many northern states to tame the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

The Deputy National President of Traders Association of Nigeria in charge of 19 northern states, Mohammed Ibrahim 86, said the situation has subjected many northern traders into unfathomable hardship.

Ibrahim 86 said, 70 percent of our people are subsistence traders. Most of them have to go out and struggle on a daily basis to be able to put food on the table for their families.

“Unfortunately, neither the federal nor any state government assisted our people with any palliative despite keeping faith with the government and abiding with the difficult policy.

“In all the meetings we held recently, no report of palliative from any quarters was availed to us.

“Surprisingly, we hear on a daily basis the palliative government provides elsewhere,” he said.

Ibrahim 86 also called on highly placed individuals and corporate bodies to come to their aid noting that instead of giving the federal government such contributions, distributing such palliative to the people directly will yield more fruits considering the hardships the people are going through.

”  People like Dangote are only assisting the federal government but none remember ordinary traders who toil every day to put food on the table contrary to what is happening in other countries,” he added.

He noted that despite all the challenges, traders are complying with government directives of staying at home adding that the traders’ leadership has also embarked on serious enlightenment campaign to alert traders of the dangers of the disease while advocating social distancing and enhancement of hygiene as some habits that must be adopted to curtail the spread of the virus.