Transporters and operators of shopping malls in parts of Lagos experienced low patronage during Eid-el Fitri celebrations which spanned three days.

A visit by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) to recreation parks, motor parks, shopping malls in Lagos, yesterday, revealed low patronage.

Secretary of Idumota Transport Unit, Steven Ayaosi,  told NAN that last year’s celebration witnessed more patronage compared to that of 2017.

Ayaosi deduced that the reason for the dull celebration could be lack of money and  that he witnessed many celebrations with celebrants catching fun to the fullest.

“ In 2016, transporters in this unit had, by this time started jubilating because of high patronage by Muslim faithful hiring our cabs.

“This year, it is too dull and you can see,” he said.

Ayaosi added that patronage was low on Sunday because of the heavy rain as many people could not leave their houses and probably, because the day was for both church service and the Eid-el-Fitri.

“Since Sunday, nobody has come to hire our cabs. In 2016, many customers came to charter our cabs to many places such as Elegushi and Eleko beaches.

“In 2016, I slept in Kalakuta Republic, in Ikeja because the customer that hired my vehicle paid for 48 hours.

“What I noticed was that the few people who came out preferred to pay N100 transportation fare charged by  ‘Danfo’ from Idumota to CMS and from CMS to Lekki at N150 or N200. Things are really tight,” he noted.

A member of the Horse Riders Association (HRA), Ismail Bature,  who brought his horse to the National Theatre for patronage, by fun seekers, said business was dull since Sunday.

“You can see that the other six horse riders here are without patronage.

“It was when we were at the Lagos Bar Beach that we made a lot of money. At every celebration then, white people would come around to patronise us and they were paying in dollars.

“My sister, I am on my way home, (there is) no point staying further,” Bature said.

Mrs. Yomi Aduloju, an employee of the Lagos State Government, was at Spar, supermarket on Lagos Island.

Aduloju said high prices of commodities constrained many Muslims and their friends to celebrate Eid-el-Fitr indoors.

“Many Nigerians have been taught the fundamentals of economics that have to do with the scale of preference.

“A container of paint of ‘garri’ is N1,200, so,  spending N3,000 on a plate of food at an eatery is not easy for me.

“Apart from ‘garri’, prices of other food items are costly, too,” she said.

Last week, the Federal Government declared yesterday and today as public holidays, for Muslims to celebrate Eid-el- Fitri, following the end of Ramadan.