Almost a month since telecommunication operations were shut down in Zamfara State to tackle banditry and kidnapping bedeviling the state and the neighbouring Katsina and Sokoto, life has not been easy for citizens in those places.
In addition to the telecommunications network shutdown in Zamfara, a number of local governments in Sokoto and Katsina have also been under the network blackout, to deny the bandits hibernating in the neighbouring communities.
Residents relive tales of hardship from the people.
Letters replace mobile phones
Life has taken a new dimension in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, as letter writing has once again become a medium of communication. A lot of people have also gone back to the tradition of reading hard copies of newspapers and listening to transistor radio sets to get the latest information.
Speaking to Daily Trust on the situation, Kabiru Muhammad, 35, a resident of Gusau said, “Since I started using smartphones I stopped listening to news on a transistor radio and flipping through the pages of newspapers. I read news on my phone. But because of the present situation in this state, I now buy newspapers in the morning and read.”
Alhaji Aminu Abubakar Gumi also said, “We envisaged that the decision of the government to shut down telecom operations in our state would bring succor to the masses because bandits and their informants use mobile phones to communicate and invade communities.
“As expected, the shutdown would have a significant effect on the common man as we got used to mobile phones for interaction. With the mobile phone, it is easy to look for somebody, but with the shutdown of telecommunication, it is now very difficult to relate with people who are not close to you. I spent almost the whole day looking for my customer yesterday. No matter how hard you press to see some people, your efforts will be futile unless Allah destines otherwise.
Read More:https://dailytrust.com/telecom-shutdown-zamfara-sokoto-residents-relive-difficulties-hopes
