Traders from 19 Northern states to boycott patronage of goods from Lagos, Aba, Onisha

Yakubu Busari

A group  Marketers of foreign English wears, jewelleries and cosmetics from Northern States, on  Thursday threatened  to boycott Lagos, Aba and Onitsha over what they described as inflation of old products by the traders in those States.

The Plateau State chapter of the traders said at a press conference with newsmen in Jos, that their decision was reached after due consultation with their counterparts across the 19 Northern states and Abuja.

The Union Chairman of the affected traders in Jos, Abubakar Isa Muhammad said the decision was taken by the union in FCT, Gombe, Niger, Kano, Plateau and Kaduna States adding that “the decision from these six states is usually binding on all the Northern States.

“Our suppliers from those three States sell to us old stock at inflated prices and some of the goods have been in the store for over five years.

He added that; “We know the dollar has appreciated against the Naira but the inflation is now happening on weekly basis and when we complain of the prices they mock us by saying we were the ones who voted change.

“The Chairman expressed that their decision follows weeks of consultations with; “our colleagues from other Northern States and what this boycott means is that we are not the only ones that will suffer, they  stressed further; “they (Suppliers), will also suffer because most of their customers are Northerners. So unless they change their attitude, for now, we will boycott them.

“Muhammad said they fall back to Kano for the supply of some of the available pending when the Southern suppliers will stop the inflation.”