The union of communication, an association based in Zamfara state has decried how the shutdown of telecom sites by the National Communications Commission (NCC), in Zamfara state for the past four weeks crippled their business activities within the period.
This was made known by the state vice chairman of the association, Comrade Nura Muhammd Gusau, in an interview with Blueprint in Gusau, Monday.
He said the shutdown had militated huge loss among members of the association, adding that many of them have left Gusau and relocated to other neighboring states of Katsina, Sokoto, Zaria in Kaduna to earn a living.
He added that members of the association lost millions of naira within the period do to shutdown of telecom network in the state.
“Although the decision was to find lasting solution of insecurity challenges facing the state, therefore we must commend Zamfara state government and federal government in that direction.
Comrade Gusau appealed to Zamfara state government to key into assisting members of the association with additional capital for them to improve their business ventures.
“I am appealing to Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle to find out modalities of assisting our members with soft loans for them to reinvigorate their business ventures considering the minor collapse being experienced during the period of telecom network shutdown in the state,” he added.
Also in an interview with Blueprint, a trader identified as Malam Abubakar Abubakar Gusau described the shutdown period as calamitous as it affected his capital during the period.
“I used to make five thousand profit every day in my POS business and the provision I am selling, but during the period of the telecom shutdown, even my capital nearly vanished.”
Meanwhile, the state chairman Joint Business Association, Zamfara state branch, Alhaji Balan Bayis, who is also part of the state Chamber of Commerce official, described the suspension of shutdown of telecom sites by the NCC in Gusau as a welcome development as it would go a long way to boost socioeconomic development of the state and the entire marketers.
“Although we have experienced so many challenges in business within the period of the telecom shutdown, but we must commend Zamfara state and federal government for their proactive measures to forestall the lingering insecurity challenges facing the state,” he stated.
Blueprint reports that part of the measures taken by the state government during the period of the telecom sites shutdown includes, closing of all major markets across the state, banning of riding motorcycles across 13 local government councils except Gusau and restriction of movement from 8pm to 6am.
Other measures included banning or selling petrol in a black market, supplying and transportation of any questionable food items from one local government to another and closing of all business sites by some major places in Gusau among others.
