The Blockade of foodstuff to southern Nigeria has today been lifted by the leadership of the cattle and foodstuff dealers under the aegis of Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria (AUFCDN).
The agreement was reached during a meeting with Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State in Abuja on Wednesday.
It could be recalled that the union embarked on a strike last week to protest the attack on some of their members during the EndSARS protests as well as the recent Shasha market crisis in Ibadan, Oyo state capital.
They gave the federal government a seven-day ultimatum to weigh into the situation and look into their demands.
They closed all routes leading from the North to South and prevented vehicles conveying cattle and food items from reaching the Southern region. They also dismantled all roadblocks on federal highways where their members are harassed and money extorted from them by security operatives.
Due to the strike, food prices increased in the South, while farmers in the North complained of poor patronage, thereby affecting both parties.
A bag of onion which sold at N35,000 before the strike, plummeted to N7000 during the blockade.
However, the six southern states, namely Lagos, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Enugu and Ondo have dismissed the adverse effect of the blockade, saying it is an opportunity for the south to boost its food and animal production capacity.
SOURCE: DAILY TRUST
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