The Onion Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (OPMAN) has vowed that it will cut off supply to entire southern Nigeria beginning from today (Monday) if the government fails to respond to the association’s demands.
Africa Today News, New York gathered that one of OPMAN’s demands is that its members who had suffered losses as a result of ethno-religious crises in the South must be duly compensated.
Others include restoration of law and order in those areas as well as a thorough investigation to uncover the remote causes of those attacks on their members.
OPMAN also called on the host communities to respect the constitutional rights of northern traders in their respective states.
Addressing journalists after the association’s meeting in Sokoto at the weekend, OPMAN’s President, Aliyu Isa, noted that members of the association lost onions and property worth ₦4.5 billion in various attacks in the south.
According to him, during the Aba crisis in Abia State, the association lost three members, while about 30 trailers, 9 utility cars, 50 stores, and 10,000 bags of onion, among other valuables belonging to their members, were destroyed.
In Shasa, Oyo State, he said 27 lives, five trailers, 5,600 bags of Onions, 12 utility vehicles, and other valuables were lost.
Isah added that members were robbed of onions worth ₦13 million in Imo State.
He said, ‘After full deliberation by the executive members of this association and the failure of government to respond to our cry, we resolved…that we are shutting down the supply of onions to the entire South by Monday, June 7, 2021, unless all our demands are met.’
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK