From Mohammed Nasir Shuaibu BAUCHI
The Union Umbrella of Bauchi Timber Sellers Association has embarked on indefinite strike over persistent seizure of their goods by the hunter group in the State.
Speaking to the journalists during the peaceful protests at timber site in Muda Lawal market, Monday in Bauchi, the Chairman of Igbo Timber Sellers branch, Barrister Maduabuchi Okonkwo said the union decided to embark on the strike due persistent arrest and detention of vehicles loaded with wood by the hunter’s group.
He explained that there members usually paid upto N120, 000 and N150, 000 whenever their goods was arrested and detained by the hunter’s group or charged them to court before they could be released.
Okonkwo, further said the Association has no any option rather than directing all its members to closed down their shops and embarked on indefinite strike pending when their will be look into and resolved. And I’m happy that our members have comply with our instructions as you can see everywhere was locked off.
“the situation is becoming worrisome every day our members were being detained and charged huge amount of money for about N150, 000 above on every vehicle they seized, and if they refused pay they’ll take them to court”,.
“we’re calling on the government to come to our aids and intervene between us and the hunter group to stop arresting our members because we’ve all the necessary official documents to operates.
Corroborating, the Chairman of Hausa Timber branch 1, Abubakar Ayuba said the Association have embraced and complied with the policy of the present administration on banned of cutting trees/wood in the state, which our members go outside the state up to Cameroon border to buy the woods and crossing all the state’s like Lafiya, Kaduna and Plateau, but we only face detained and arrested when we reached home by the hunter’s claiming that our certificate is fake.
He said “We’ve tried all efforts to get across the governor bur was not successful, that’s why we asked our members to stay at home to show our dismay over the predicament situation.
Also speaking, the Deputy chairman Hausawa Timber Sellers branch 1, Malam Yahaya Muhammad said “we’ve more than one million especially youths aged from 12 to 35 years who getting their daily foods and to their parents”,.
Adding that the timber market is one of the largest employers of Labour in the state and its generating huge revenue to the state government with the closure of market it will going to lost.
