By Favour Nnabugwu

The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) has discarded any form of compensation for its members that lost their lives to Boko Haram bomb explosions across the country.

Also, the traders nationwide set an eight-point road map for the President-Elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari come  May 29, 2015  when his administration would take over the ruling of this country.

NANTS National President, Mr. Ken Ukaoha at an Exco meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, addressed a press conference said that no amount of compensation could equate the lives of each of its members that died in the various explosions.

“As trader, we are not going to task the incoming administration on compensation. How much will the government pay that would assuage the trauma of the families of the dead ones, he asked rhetorically.

“What we want to do is to join hands with the government to fight insurgency. We categorise insurgency as a natural disaster which must not  repeat itself”.
In all of that, he said, Nigerian traders have leant lessons from the explosion and have become more security conscious with introduction of CCTv, barricades, gates installed in all the markets to secure traders.

On whom to blame for the insurgency, Ukaoha said , “We don’t want to blame the incumbent president for the insurgency.”
Driving home the association’s point, NANTS boss said, “Many markets across the country have become theatres of horrendous bomb explosions which have exterminated many traders and destroyed several billions of Naira worth of goods and properties.”

Their consolation, he noted, would be for the President-Elect to wipe out insurgency and other form of insecurity as he had promised to.
However, the traders expressed their readiness to work with the incoming administration while they outlined 8-point agenda for him to address as soon as he takes over office.

“As the President-Elect settles down to draw his agenda for moving Nigeria forward, traders dimmed it expedient to put the following demand on the consideration list of incoming administration”

Some of the high points the Nigerian traders marshalled for incoming administration are standing by his promises during election campaign; completion of abandoned projects; to revive the country’s refineries; to appoint technocrats as Ministers; tackle corruption; sanitise budgetary process; to reform the public sector and ensure security of lives and properties.

“Insecurity in Nigeria has become hydra headed and a serious impediment to socio-economic development. Issues of insecurity feature prominently in your campaign promises and traders trust that you are a man that would keep his promises”

He also urged the incoming administration to support progressive policies such as the Growth Enhancement Scheme for small scale famers; the auto policy to reduce necessity imports and capital flight; local content policy; the national rice policy; the power sector and the Economic Partnership (EPA)

He advised the President-Elect to resist the signing of the lopsided agreement that, according to him, presently hampers the growth of local manufacturing sector.
The NANTS President noted that the traders “have slept for so long and our heads have been matched upon. It is truly time to awake. During this political dispensation, traders nationwide have decided to arise and take up their votes as tools for negotiation.

“We only voted for those we are sure of; those who are ready to go into partnership and alliance with us; those who have the true vision of taking our nation to the next level; and those who are ready to stamp out corruption from Nigeria so that the country can further take a leap to development; we are ready to vote only for those who are ready to protect our social, political and economic interests. It is payback time, and our vote is the currency.”