FOOD BLOCKADE: No Going Back, Afenifere
Information reaching our desk that, The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has said nothing will stop its planned campaign against the consumption of beef in the South-West billed for Friday, March 5.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, spoke with SaharaReporters on Tuesday, while reacting to reports that some trucks conveying food items had started moving from the North to the South.
Odumakin confirmed partial movement of food trucks from North to the South but noted that the development would not stop the launch of its ‘Anything But Cow Day’ as a response to the blockade of food items to the South by northern traders.
According to him, the campaign is not only going to be launched by South-West leaders but will incorporate partners from the South-East, South-South and the Middle Belt.
He said: “Yes, the South-West is planning to launch a campaign and we are also talking to our partners in the South-South, from South-East and Middle Belt to be part of the campaign.
“We are definitely going to continue with the campaign. We will take other actions, they will hear from us.”
Odumakin warned of grievous consequences if the South is to take similar measures against the North.
He added: “They have opened some places. We’ve heard about the blockheads agreeing to remove some roadblocks to the South, it is a tragedy for Nigeria that some people refused to allow food to come in. At the end of the day, some people will go and sit down at the federal allocation committee to be sharing oil proceeds and the rest from the South but you are blocking yam, tomatoes from coming to the South, is that reasonable?
“If the South is to say no fuel should go from the South to the North, what are they going to use? It is an unreasonable thing they are doing and if the South is forced to react in equal measure, they won’t find it funny.”
Afenifere; Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho; Are Ona Kankanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams; and the Odua Peoples Congress under the leadership of Prince Segun Osinbote, had on Monday announced a plan to launch a campaign against cows.
The campaign, which is themed, ‘A one-day symbolic beef boycott towards terminating the cow pandemic- End COWVID-21′ is expected to trend on Twitter with the #endcowpandemic.org’ and will be streamed live on Odua Peoples Communications Youtube channel.
The Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria embarked on strike action last Thursday.
The strike, which involved closing all routes linking the North to the South, has adversely affected the cost of food items in the southern region.
