BusinessTomato Dealers In Plateau loss of Over N29m, Seeks FG’s Intervention

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JOS — Nasiru Yusuf, Chairman of Lalong Tomatoes Market, Farin-Gada, in Jos,  says tomato traders and marketers in Plateau State have decried the loss of over N29 million to lingering crisis in parts of the country.
He disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said some of the losses encountered were due to lingering crisis in parts of the country.
“We are counting lots of losses in our business right now, I have a case of over N9 million loss, because of the ongoing crisis in parts of Nigeria.
“Our member who travelled with truckloads of Tomato, Carrot, Cabbage, Onions and Pepper, worth N9million, was unfortunately stopped and killed with others in the truck.
“The goods were discarded and the truck was set ablaze; we have several other cases of burning of buses and trailers containing our products.”
Yusuf, therefore, urged the Federal Government to intervene and tackle insecurity in these regions, to restore smooth operations of tomato businesses there.
“We want government to intervene and to provide adequate security manpower, to enable us transact our business smoothly.
“We also want government to come to our rescue because this is the only business a common man in Nigeria does to feed his family.”
He promised to adhere strictly to Federal, State, and Local Government policies on payment of taxes and levies.
Another tomato trader, Mr. Victor Isandu, noted that whenever there was a crisis in any region of the country, it often crippled business operations in other regions.
“This is because we deal in perishable goods; as such our goods become wasted.
“Some weeks ago, a 12 tier-truck carrying goods worth over N20million was burnt to ashes on the way to delivery.
“We have so many thousands of people that benefit from this business.
“The people working here are self-employed, somehow this crisis has affected not only tomato buyers but also farmers and the consumers of the product,” he said.
On his part, Mr. Longpan John, a bus driver, recounted the ordeals often faced when travelling, describing it as ‘unimaginable’.
“The damages mostly impact drivers and sometimes result in the loss of lives of our members.
“Two weeks ago, some drivers were stopped and their buses were burnt, while their goods were stolen, as such we cannot move freely,” John said.
The traders urged the government to tackle insecurity in all parts of the country to ensure an enabling environment for business and inter-state trade to thrive.
Hassan Umar Shallpella (Regional Correspondent)

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