Lagos-Bound Food Items Destroyed As Minna-Bida-Lambata Gridlock Enters Fourth Day

The blockade imposed on the Bida-Lambata, Lambata-Izom highway by irate tanker drivers has led to the destruction of food items worth millions of naira meant for markets in Lagos and other parts of the South.

The blockade which has now entered its fourth day is a protest by articulated truck (tanker) drivers over the dilapidated state of the Bida – Lambata road, and the refusal of the state government to open the Minna route to them.

The route, which is one of the major highways linking the food-producing north to the southern part of Nigeria, has been a subject of government neglect in the past few years.

When THE WHISTLER visited the location of the gridlock on Sunday, it was observed that staple food worth hundreds of thousands of naira had been left to rotten as a result of the impasse.

Ibrahim Mohammed, who was transporting onions from Kano to Lagos told THE WHISTLER that the blockade had cost him over two hundred thousand naira already.

He implored the government to as a matter of urgency, intervene to resolve the impasse and re-open the routes.

“I have been here since Friday, virtually all the onions I am transporting to Lagos have been destroyed. I have eventually resorted to selling them at the local market here for a discounted price to mitigate the loss,” a visibly displeased Ibrahim told our reporter.

Aside from onions, our correspondent observed that other food items, including oranges, watermelons and tomatoes were destroyed.

Trucks carrying flammable petroleum products were also noticed in the blockade.

Isah Usman, a resident of Izom, one of the communities affected by the blockade, lamented that the impasse is causing untoward hardships on people of the community.

According to Isah, the blockade has led to the loss of a patient referred to the Specialist Hospital, Gwagwalada from Minna.

He called on government and traditional leaders to dialogue with the protesting tanker drivers for the sake of the affected commuters and motorists.

Commuters plying the route decried the hardships caused by the blockade while lamenting the high risk and cost associated with using an alternative route which passes through the bush.

Awalu Yinusa, one of the tanker drivers championing the protest, said the blockade became necessary to force government to repair the damaged portions of the Bida – Lambata road and open the Minna route, pending its completion.

“We have leaders in the country and they should help us fix this road. We’re not asking for any other thing from the government, we have our own work, we just want them to repair this road. Let them open this Minna road for us before they repair this one. That’s our problem.

“We will stay here until the day they find time to open this road for us, by the grace of God,” Yinusa told our reporter in Hausa.

However, the Niger State Government has maintained that the continued blockade of expressways by drivers of tankers, trucks and other articulated vehicles would not compel it to open the Minna-Bida road to them.

A statement issued at the weekend by the Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Matane, condemned and frowned on the decision of the drivers to block the expressways, causing heavy gridlock and risks to innocent commuters and the people of the communities.

He said the state government would not take liability for damaged vehicles or goods as a result of any unfortunate incidence that may arise.