Protest grounds commercial activities in Mubi

From Umar Dankano, Yola.

A massive protest staged by the traders in Mubi, one of the commercial nerve center of Adamawa state in rejecting a military directive that, all kiosk owners, meat sellers, tea sellers and other businesses along the major roads has grounded business activities in the ancient city of Mubi yesterday.

As early as 9am, protesters in their large numbers stormed the Emir palace and other strategic places carrying placards with different inscriptions condemning and expressing their displeasure over the hasty decision by the military without providing them with alternative.

Some of the protesters who spoke to journalists expressed concerned over the untold and need less hardship they were always subjected to especially by the military in the area all in the name of tightening security in the area.

“Are the army here to protect us or to harass us? We are under curfew from 7pm to 6am for months. As if that is not enough, the army reviewed the curfew to 6pm, we did not complain as well and now the army is saying we should stop our businesses or relocate for security reasons! Why?” one of the traders Ahmad Umar lamented.

He called on the federal government to intervene in the matter saying that, the people of Mubi had suffered enough.

Joseph Teri, one of the protesters said law abiding and innocent citizens have condemned the action of the military to wake up one day and give them a sack notice at these hard economic times and in month of Ramadan without even giving them enough time to sort themselves out.

“It is inhuman for somebody to just wake up any time he feels and dish out order that will further plague us into hardship. We have suffered enough in the hands of those people. We have been complying with their directives but now they want to push us out of businesses. Where do they want us to go and how can we survive? They supposed to provide us with alternative or at least give us enough time to sort ourselves out before coming out with this callous decision”. He decried.

“We have been loyal and in full support of the army in Mubi making this move to deprave us of our source of lively hood worrisome.

“In Maiduguri and Yola today, the effective time for curfew is 11 pm to 5 pm but sadly the situation in Mubi is different.

“We were placed under 7 pm to 6 am curfew for months we did not complain, the curfew was further tightened in spite of the Ramadan fast to 6 pm, we still did not complaint and now they said we must relocated our businesses within one week with no where to go”,  Joel lamented.

When contacted, the chairman Mubi North LGA, Alh. Sahabo Jauro confirmed this development but urged the people in the area to show understanding and corporation with the military in their determination to protect lives and properties especially at this crucial time of Boko Haram insurgency.