Yakubu Busari
Major Shop owners and petty traders have locked up their business premises in total compliance with the order of the marketers’ union to protest over the impounding of trucks, and trailers loading goods parked in their warehouses in the Plateau State capital on Thursday.
The group traders who spoke lamented the constant threat to goods impounded by the agent of Plateau State.
Chief Achi Eze who took this medium around the busy Terminus Market said there was total compliance from the members as business was paralyzed for several hours.
He stated that in Jos North LGA, the Igbos were the major voters in the last Governorship election that brought Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang into power so they’re appealing to the government to come out and address the problem associated with the impounding of trucks parked in front of warehouses.
They decry that some of the trucks parked in front of the shops were impounded and Jack to the vehicle Inspection Office at Old Airport Road for them to pay the ransom of N500,000 and One million naira before the goods are released to owners.
According to Achi, the union of traders applauded the policy but demanded that they have conducive parking space to allow trucks and trailer users to come under one umbrella.
We have bought the ideas but the manner of implementation can create a security threat to the states like Plateau State which is still witnessing pockets of killings.
Chief Achi disclosed that Plateau State is home to Peace and Tourism so as Igbo community residents in Plateau State condemn a situation where some disgruntled elements might want to hijack the peaceful protest to create problems.
He lamented that each time there is a breakdown of law and order, these hoodlums would attack their shops.
The Jos Metropolitan Development Board had embarked on the enforcement of banning the heavy trucks and trailers coming into the town during daylight remains the best policy but they should consider those that have wire houses and they parked it in front to offload, he said.
A legal practitioner, Barr. Yusuf Ali also said in his opinion that the law should concentrate on the movement only where trailers or long vehicles are already parked in warehouses offloading should be tolerated.
According to him, the government focuses more on movement is to avoid accidents but where the vehicle is already parked in the wire house as prevents accidents that wouldn’t arise as most of the vehicles already stationed due to movement.
Ali explained that the government this circumstance and JMDB , VIO, and all other agencies should tolerate and pardon the owner of the truck at the warehouses that are in consonant with the common law sense of reasoning.
The trailers and trucks protest had paralyzed business activities within Jos /Bukuru leading to streets empty, meanwhile, the only area with business going on was banks with customers scraping in and out as those in the withdrawal business were going in and out.
The JMDB was cleaning drainages in front of ECWA Goodnews as Mr. Lawrence Nwaefor thanked the Governor for what he is doing to foster a policy that prevents accidents.
We have been compliant with the major issues of JMDB they are overdoing it because of most of these vehicles came in the night uploading but the following day the agent responsible for enforcement will impound them on no account.
He urged Governor Caleb Mutfwang to have a listening ear to the traders to avoid unnecessary blackmailing, they said the protest affected them but they needed to communicate with the government to know what they were going through.
