Demolition: Stakeholders Urge Bauchi Govt To Support Affected Traders, Artisans
BY KHALID IDRIS DOYA, Bauchi
A concerned citizen of Bauchi state, Malam Lawal Mukhtar Ladan Borno has tendered a passionate appeal to the state government to seriously consider the plight of owners of demolished containers, or temporary shops for a suitable but designated enabling environment to continue their businesses.
Malam Lawal Mukhtar noted with dismay that the fate of those petty traders and artisans now hanging in the balance as, according to him, they were neither relocated to any suitable place to display their wares nor provided them any financial assistance to alter alternatives.
Ladan Borno expressed regret that the economic crunch being faced by the people, particularly roadsides Petty-traders, and container owners in Bauchi metropolis whose sheds were smashed or demolished by the state government were left at the pain of want and squalor.
He told our correspondent in Bauchi yesterday that following the inflationary trends sweeping the country and globally, those Bauchi neglected petty traders and artisans, as a result of structures demolishing have their capital bases either bastardized or bogged down and businesses grinding to a halt.
Lawal also expressed fear with what he described as negatively unfolding trends across the country, principally the economic hardships being experienced by Nigerians and insecurity ravaging them, saying Nigerians are now left at the mercy of capitalists, insurgents and bandits.
“Nigerians are living in a very harsh and difficult conditions, especially from the inception of Tinubu-led administration and it’s attendance fuel subsidy removal, couple with some of its unguided economic policies and developmental programmes”, said the concerned citizen.
He explained that what worries him most is the self-centered tendencies of emirs, community leaders, clerics and clergymen who could neither talk nor advice on any alarming or imminent event or catastrophe, but could only coerce electorates to vote candidates of their choice whenever there are elections.
Ladan Borno noted with dismay that at this period of severe economic crunch being faced by the people generally, the government will close its eyes and ears to perpetuate such a heinous act of jeopardizing the livelihood of its citizens by throwing them into the labour market, a sort of tyrannical rule.
He queried, “Where do you want those petty traders, artisans whose livelihood solemnly defends on little-little proceeds from their day-to-day businesses to go and fend for a living”.
According to him, the government could have relocated such artisans and petty-traders to a suitable place to fend for a living rather than throwing them into the labour market with probably idle minds to orchestrate or perpetuate atrocities, or even other criminal acts.