Gov. Al-Makura: Maltreatment Of Market Men And Women In Lafia

'A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.' - Nelson Mandela

Maltreatment of Nigerian Youths and Students is common since when the Umaru Tanko Al-Makura came on board as the Governor of Nasarawa State ranging from the polarization of the National body of the Nasarawa State Students Association (NASSA), Unlawful detention of Comrade Yusuf Abubakar Doma, to the over 12 thousands youths that were sacked from the 13 Local Government in Nasarawa State .

It is not longer news that Nasarawa State Government has forcefully chased market Men and Women out of the Old Lafia Market without an option of where to go, it may be recalled that sometimes around August, 2013, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued a statement to the general public that whoever is interested in the allocation of shops in the "New Ultra Modern Market Lafia" should as a matter of urgency and State interest indicate interest by purchasing an application form at the rate of N10,000 while the yearly subcharges will follow.

As I write, no ordinary Nigerian citizenry in Nasarawa State was given a single shop after the application in the New Utra Modern Market due to the dubious acts of the Government of the day in the State, all the shops were allocated to the Families and Friends of Governor Almakura, Commissioners, SSA's, SA's and other Government officials.

The most painful thing in Lafia is that those in the authority that the shops were illegally allocated to them are now selling the shops now to the ordinary Market Men and Women at rate of N800,000 (Eight Hundred Thousand) upward, to us this is animalistic, barbaric and exploitation of the highest order. This question and so many others are begging for answers, How many market men and women can afford to pay such huge amount of money?

Can some move to the new market place without a shop? Where does the government expect those that are selling Grandnut oil, Exercise Books, Shoes, Babbers, Tailors in the old market to pack to? I could go on and on mentioning the names of those that are affected with the unfriendly policy of Al-Makura led Government.

It is widely accepted that no state will developed without putting some individual and groups into pains but it is not accepted in putting people into the angony of poverty in the name of development, what we expected from the government is to put an alternative in place before thinking of sending them out of the old market.

As the old market is parmanently shutdown by the government, the market men and women association has taken it to the street on Saturday to protest the anti people policy of Gov Almakura that will surely add to the level of poverty in the State.

This is State that 70% of its citizens are living in abject poverty as exibited on Saturday where a group of thugs were hired just to earn a living by the government of the day in Nasarawa State to distroy the posters and bill board of one of the gubernatorial aspirant under the platform of PDP called Yusuf Mohammed Agabi.

One would have expected Gov Al-Makura to do a thorough check and sample the opinion of relevant stakeholders in the market before coming up with such a senseless decision. The fact is that the state government has taken this wicked steps in order to add to the pains of the ordinary citizens that are yearning for CHANGE of leadership in the State.

Therefore, without fear of contradiction the only solution to the current predicament in the Lafia old market is for the government to as the matter of National important and poverty alleviation revisits the process that led to the illegal allocation of the New Ultra Modern Market to people that only in government instead of the real market men and women.

Conclusively, I know that some people will shamefully ask that what is the interest of Ibrahim Kabiru Dallah in the ongoing anti people policy of Governor Al-Makura, however, I want the whole world to remember that Nigerian Youths were parts and parcels of those that fought for the return of Democracy back into Nigeria, as such we cannot keep mute while things are moving in the wrong

direction in Nasarawa State.
As the countdown to 2015 begins, Nigerian youths in Nasarawa State must be determined to make sure that youths play a central role in the forthcoming elections in order not repeat the maladministration of the present government in the State.

Ibrahim Kabiru Dallah Is The National President, Nasarawa State Youths Networks (NASTYNET) Writes From Lafia, Nasarawa State. @ik_dallah on twitter