Traders of major markets in Jos have called on the Plateau state government to rescind its stand over the ban on the movement of heavy trucks and animals within the Jos/Bukuru areas and give priority to trucks carrying agricultural produce.
The Market Chairman of Farin Gada tomato market, Mr. Ibrahim Imani who spoke to ASHENEWS said the unions are not completely against the ban stating that there is a need for the state government to review its stand as the ban is doing more harm to their businesses than good.
He noted that the government did not plan properly to provide a bypass from the trailer garage to the city centre or park trucks during the restricted time, adding that there is a need for consideration and preference to be given to agro-traders and state-owned vehicles.
“This is very key because when trucks carrying perishable goods are stopped for hours, it affects the produce and market. It also causes economic hardship when a truck is impounded and asked to pay N500,000 because this cost will be regained by a hike in the price of that commodity and the masses will have to bear the burnt.”
Transporters and other trade unions in Plateau State, under the auspices of Plateau State Joint Transport, Traders and Marketers Association have announced a sit-at-home strike to protest the Executive order of the state government.
However, while some traders obeyed the directive to sit at home, others bared the odds to come out and make their trade after the second day of the sit-at-home strike.
The Farin Gada Chairman further noted that aside from the perishable goods, some agricultural goods are very expensive and cannot be offloaded by night because of criminals and armed robbers. “we want the state government to give them the permission to bring in their goods by night, but offload by day to protect their investment and lives of workers.”
The Chairman alluded that as a result of the ban, trucks from other states are avoiding and declining to bring in goods to Plateau state while those from the state who are available are charging double the initial amount. This, he said, has made traders increase the prices of the goods to recover costs.
The appeal by Ibrahim is that the state government need to review the fine rate, review the time or create an effectual and accessible bypass and accord more preference to agricultural produce imported particularly to the state.
In a related development, the Spokesperson of the transporters and other trade unions in Plateau State, under the auspices of Plateau State Joint Transport, Traders and Marketers Association, Abubakar Garba, said that the protest and shutting down of markets was an intention to voice out their rejection of the Executive Order recently signed by Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
Garba said that the Executive Order infringed on their fundamental right to freedom of movement guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution. He said, “The last time we checked, we found out that the roads, which the government is barricading for us not to ply, belong to the Federal Government.
“These roads were constructed by the Federal Government to ease movement from one state to another. Based on this development, restricting vehicular movement on those roads is an infringement on our fundamental rights of movement as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We, therefore, call on the government of Plateau State to retrace its steps on this executive order by releasing our impounded trucks immediately, providing designated routes for trucks and allowing trucks moving goods to their states like Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Borno and Jigawa states to use the bye-pass roads to their destinations.
“We further urge the government to construct truck terminals and reduce the restriction time from 9:00 pm to 6:00 am to 5 pm to 7 am to reduce the hardship faced by truck owners and the high cost of goods and services by the citizens.”
The Spokesman said that the sit-at-home strike by traders would continue until the government addressed their concerns.
But the state government seems resolute about its executive order as the state Commissioner for Information, Musa Ashoms said they are trying to resolve the grey area concerning the Executive order with officials of the trade union. He, however, stated that the executive order has come to stay.
It will be recalled that Governor Caleb Mutfwang has issued Executive Order No. 003, 2024 which he said aims to regulate the construction of buildings and the flow of vehicular traffic in Plateau State. The order streamlines vehicular traffic by implementing traffic management measures such as designated parking spaces, traffic lights and road signage. Violators of traffic rules will face penalties including fines and vehicle impoundment.
The Executive Order specifically restricted trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles from entering the Central Business Area (Jos-Bukuru Metropolis) between 6 am and 9 pm. It stipulated an N500,000 penalty and the impounding of the truck as punishment for violators.
