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Tag: Price hike

  • COVID-19: Nasarawa residents decry hike in prices of food items

    COVID-19: Nasarawa residents decry hike in prices of food items

    Some residents of Nasarawa State have decried the spike in the prices of food items in the market over partial lockdown in the state in order to curtail the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.

    Some of the residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews on Thursday in Keffi that the increase in the prices of goods have created more hardship to them.

    They called on traders not to take advantage of the partial lockdown in the state to increase the prices of commodities in order to cushion the effect of the lockdown.

    Mrs Litini Luka, a resident of Keffi, said: “It is unfortunate that in Nigeria, people take advantage of some situations to cause hardship on the people.

    “Just because of partial lockdown and directive by the government that people should stay at home over Coronavirus, traders took the advantage by increasing the prices of goods in the market.

    “Before COVID-19 directive by govrnment, a measure of local rice which is previously sold at between N300 and N350 is now sold about N450 and a measure of maize which previously sold at N120 to N130 is now sold between N160 and N170, while a bag of maize is now sold at N16,000 to N17,000 instead of N12,000 per bag.

    “A measure of Garri which was previously sold at N120 is now sold at N200 per measure.

    “You can see, we are facing the hardship created by Coronavirus and traders again are creating more hardship to us by increasing the prices of goods in the market; it is unfortunate,” she said.

    She called on the government to regulate the prices of food items in the market in order to improve on the living standard of the people and for the overall development of the country.

    Another resident, Mallam Abubakar Isah, called on the traders to have the fear of God in their trade.

    “Just imagine the prices of maize, rice, garri and beans, among others, had gone up. A measure of beans previously sold at N170 is now sold between N200 and N250 per measure; where are we going?

    “I want to use this medium to plead with traders to consider what Nigerians are going through at the moment, ” he said

    Mr Thomas Bulus lamented over unnecessary hike in the prices of goods in the market and called on government to regulate their prices.

    “The present situation in the country is uncalled for as the prices of almost all commodities have increased in the market. There is need for the Federal Government to checkmate as well as regulate the prices of goods in the market,” he said.

    Mrs Hauwa Isah also expressed dismay over the soaring prices of goods in the market.

    “We are facing COVID-19 problem and traders are taking advantage of lockdown directive which is not good at all. It is adding more hardship to people,” she said.

    However, most of the traders interviewed attributed the increase in the prices of commodities to transportation and scarcity of the products because of the restriction in movement order. (NAN)

  • COVID-19 lockdown: Women decry hike in prices of food items in Ekiti

    COVID-19 lockdown: Women decry hike in prices of food items in Ekiti

    Some women in Federal Housing, Ado-Ekiti, on Friday said that the lockdown order, occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic, is taking its toll on them.

    They decried the sudden hike in prices of some food items and disruption of their petty trading.

    Speaking to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ado Ekiti, Mrs Ilori Abodunde, a civil servant, said that a bag of Sachet water now goes for N170, as against N150 before the lockdown.

    She said that before the directive, the same bag directly from the distributors cost N100, now goes for N150.

    “The price of fuel has reduced, so we are not supposed to experience hike in the price of food items at this time,” Abodunde said.

    Mrs Tina Adesegun, a housewife, said buying fish in the area had become very expensive too.

    She said that the fish that normally sells for N120 now goes for N200, which had made it extremely difficult for her to cook a befitting soup for her family.

    Mrs Nana Seidu, a petty trader, said the disruption in her groundnut trade was of major concern.

    She said that the lockdown notice was short and that the government did not consider the poor like her who feeds “from hand to mouth”.

    She said she survived on her daily income as a groundnut seller, saying that her daily income was barely enough to feed her and her kids.

    Seidu said she would be happy if the state government could assist her and her kids to feed, while the lockdown period lasted.

    The women said while they fully understood that the lockdown was very necessary at this time, the government should intervene in ensuring stability of prices of food items. (NAN)

  • COVID-19 Lockdown: Food shortage hits Bayelsa as prices soar

    COVID-19 Lockdown: Food shortage hits Bayelsa as prices soar

    Restrictions of movements over the coronavirus pandemic has led to shortage of staple foods and rising prices in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital.

    The affected items include, sachet water which the residents depend on due to absence of potable water, grains and food condiments amongst others.

    A market survey at rural and urban markets in Bayelsa at the weekend showed over 100 per cent increase in the prices of Garri, Yam, Tomatoes and other food items following measures put in place to check the spread of COVID-19.

    Checks at Okordia-Zarama, a rural market and Swali market in the urban area of the state capital showed that a four-litre plastic container measure of garri which sold for N600 few days before the restrictions, now sells for N1,500.

    For sachet water packaged in bags of 20 pieces which sold for N100, same now goes for N150 as dealers said the lockdown had held down supplies from neighbouring states.

    Mrs Obiageli Nwafor, a housewife said that the quantity of tomatoes she usually buys at N300 now goes for N800 on Saturday due to the lockdown announce by both Rivers and Bayelsa governments.

    She said that iced fish, meat, vegetables and other edible items were not left out of the upward swing in prices.

    “The restrictions announced by the government which effectively closed interstate borders between Rivers and Bayelsa has caused scarcity of food in the markets as traders run out of stock.

    “The traders source a lot of things consumed in Bayelsa from neigbouring states and the directive to halt inter-state travels has affected food prices and traders are capitalizing on it by exploiting the people,” Nwafor said.

    She noted that the preventive measures were necessary to discourage unnecessary travels amongst the people but advised Bayelsa government to take a closer look at the directive to allow vehicles to bring in food.

    According to her, although Bayelsa had not recorded any incident, the confirmed infection in Port Harcourt, the Rivers capital on Thursday, was a source of concern. (NAN)

  • COVID-19: Rivers residents lament hike on prices of consumables

    COVID-19: Rivers residents lament hike on prices of consumables

    Some residents of Rivers, on Saturday lamented the hike on prices of food stuffs and consumables following the lock down on markets and interstate borders by the state government.

    The Rivers State Government had in a state wide broadcast on Wednesday, announced lock down on markets, as well as interstate border closures, as part of measures aimed at combating Corona virus (COVID-19), in the state.

    Some residents of Elelenwo, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area (LGA), of Rivers, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the high cost of living in the state was becoming unbearable, especially for low income earners.

    Mrs Max Ene, a petty trader, said her business had crumbled following the lock down on markets as traders were apparently chased out of the popular Oil-Mill market by armed security officials on Wednesday.

    She said her household was currently battling starvation as they could not afford essentials from the few stalls operating in the area.

    “I quite understand it is a very trying period all over the world, but our greatest challenge here in Rivers is the high cost on foodstuff, and this is more challenging than the COVID-19 pandemic itself.

    “A mudu (measure) of garri, which was sold at N450, is currently selling at N1500, while a litre of groundnut oil, sold at N550, now goes for N850.

    “Furthermore, a sizable tuber of yam sold for N700 now sells at N1000, same goes for rice, palm oil and other consumables,” she said.

    Mr Joel Ama, a civil servant in the state, also expressed dissatisfaction over the hike in the cost of foodstuff.

    Ama urged the state government to set up a price monitoring committee to check unnecessary inflation.

    “The government should set up a price monitoring committee just the same way it constituted the task force on COVID-19, to check inflation,” he said.

    Mr Johnson Egor, a businessman, urged the government to partner with the task force on Petroleum Price monitoring committee, to ensure that fuel stations in Rivers adhered strictly to the new reduction on pump price of fuel.

    “As we speak most filling stations are still dispensing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, at N145 per litre even when the Federal Government has announced a reduction to N125 per litre,” Egor said. (NAN)