Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
It was first of its kind in Borno State. In over a decade or so, nothing like this has happened in this state given the state of insecurity occasioned by the Boko Haram insurgency and its accompanying social instability.
But today, it is a different landscape. Hundreds of petty traders, mostly vegetable and fruits sellers, gathered at the Customs Market, Maiduguri, defied the scorching sun to welcome Governor Babagana Zulum.
Some years ago, it would have been suicidal to attempt to organise such an assembly or to gather such a crowd for whatever purpose. Certainly, the setting would have been infiltrated by members of the Boko Haram insurgents and their Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDS).
But on this day, it was all pure joy. Zulum was making his first visit to the marketers and it was understandable that the whole market was electrified with unparalleled excitement. The governor was coming to the market to kick-start the disbursement of the micro- credit loans to traders in the market.
“We are glad you are here,” a middle age woman who squatted in the midst of the crowd, said in Kanuri language, echoing the mood of the host community. Zulum said theinsurgency, which had caused the displacement of about two million people in different states, has undermined the commercial activities of the state, resulting in huge unemployment crisis.
He recalled that unemployment was one of the direct causes of insurgency in the region, noting that his government would do everything possible to get thousands of jobless youths engaged:
“Revamping the economy of the state through commercial activities is a key component of our 10 points agenda.” He said he has taken firm decision to ensure that all economic and commercial activities are revived in the state.
Explaining the nature and category of the disbursement, the governor said some 1, 307 groceries sellers would be given N30, 000 soft loan each to boost their trade. He said the scheme was introduced to help the small-scale businesses, male and female, pick up the pieces of their lives after a decade of crisis.
He charged the traders to use the fund judiciously and pay in time even as he directed the ministry of poverty alleviation to monitor the repayment of the loan. He announced a waiver to any beneficiary that pays 50 per cent of his or her loan within a year. He said he targeted about 10,000 traders and smallscale businesses in other markets within the next three years.
The leader of the groceries sellers in the market, Alhaji Ali Yanaye, lauded the governor’s step to boost commercial activities in the state. He said they did not believe the government was committed to such step initially when a committee came to take statistics of the traders:
“Thanks to Allah, it has come to pass. Initially, we thought it was one of such government programmes, which would never see the light of the day.”
Lamin Mohammed, representative of women traders in the market, prayed Allah to grant the governor more wisdom to govern well.