LAGOS – The Yam Sellers Association, Mile 12 Chapter in Lagos, on Friday identified the high cost o[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]f transportation and bad roads as major impediments to the business.
Mr Mohammed Dadamma, Chairman of the association, made the complaint in an interview with the[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″] News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
“We spend between N400, 000 and N500, 000 on each lorry load of yams from Benue and Taraba States to Lagos.
“The bad roads is disturbing us too much as it delays the arrival of the vehicles in Lagos.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
“Our vehicles breakdown frequently because of the bad roads,’’ he said.
Dadamma said that from Taraba to Lagos the transporters also spend between N50, 000 and N80, 000[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”8″] as tips to the security agencies on the highways.
He appealed to the Federal Government to tackle the issue of bad roads and make transportation cheaper by checkmating activities of security agents.
The chairman also lamented that the land tussles in Benue and Taraba States had prevented many farmers in the area from farming.
According to him, no farmer will risk his life, farming under insecure environment.
The land tussles, he said, negatively impacted on yams production in 2014.
Dadamma also complained about the poor condition of the road leading to the yam market in Mile 12, Lagos.
“We have been complaining about the bad road to the local government and nothing has been done about it,’’ he said.
The chairman, however, expressed optimism that the new Caretaker Committee of the Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area (LCDA) would attend to the problem. (NAN)