A two-day training organized by the Adamawa State Bureau of Public Procurement in collaboration with Charterhouse Consulting Limited for representatives of Micro, Small and Medium Size Enterprises across the 21 local government areas Adamawa state has witnessed a protest in Yola by applicants of Small Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Agency (SMEDAN).
The protesters who barricaded Jimeta-Yola road for about one and half hours before the arrival of Policemen and Officials of the Civil Defence Corps who dismantled the roadblocks alleged of denying them entry into the venue of the training held at Green Citi Hotel Yola.
Some of the protesters explained that they converged at the Hotel based on the information aired on Radio and Television in the state calling on them to attend the training, and vowed not to leave the venue.
Abbas Jibrilla said “we came to Citi Green Hotel opposite FCE for a workshop of SMEDAN, yesterday we are here, they issue an attendance sheet for 15 people only, and today they told us that the programme is not for SMEDAN.
“Why they gave us attendance sheets when they know it is not for SMEDAN”. ” He retorted
Abdullahi Alkasum while commending the Federal Government for coming up with the programme, called on the Director-general, SMEDAN, Dr Umar Dikko Radda to intervene into the matter, stressing that as Nigerians they deserve to be treated equally.
When contacted the Head of Media, Adamawa State Bureau of Public Procurement Mr. Zare Baba explained that the training is guidelines on procurement for Micro, Small and Medium Size Enterprises, and not SMEDAN.
“We have explained to them that they were misinformed, yet they insisted that they should be part of the training, we are not registering anybody, and we are not giving any loan”. He added
The Spokesman for the Adamawa State Police Command, DSP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje said Policemen were drafted to the venue to restore law and order.
