•Motorists decry pump price hike, say it’s frustrating
Many Consumers have expressed frustration and agony as prices of various food items have spiked in different markets in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its environs.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey revealed that the development has caused a strain on both traders and consumers, as many households say they are finding it difficult to feed,
Checks by NAN correspondents at various markets in the FCT and environs, yesterday, showed that the astronomical price rise affected all markets including those located at the satellite towns. It reported that both traders and consumers lamented the impact of the hike on their businesses and lifestyle, while calling for urgent government intervention to regulate prices.
At the popular Orange market located at the Abuja-Keffi road referred to as the ‘hub of bulk food market’, a basket of tomatoes which sold between N25,000 and N35,000 in May was during the visit sold between N65,000 and N75,000.
A big bag of onions which sold for between N15,000 to N25,000 in May is now being sold for between N45,000 and N50,000 while a dustbin basket of onions sold for between N2,500 and N3,000 in May now sells for between N5,500 and N6,000.
At Wuse market, a small dustbin basket of tomatoes sold for between N5,000 to N7,000 in March is now being sold between N12,000 and N15,000.
A dustbin basket of pepper which sold for N10,000 in March now goes for N17,000 while the same measure of tatashe is now being sold for between N20,000 and N22,000 as against N15,000 in March.
A big sized tuber of yam is now being sold at Wuse market for N8,000 each while a small sized one is N4,500.
At Utako market, a dustbin basket of sweet potatoes formally sold between N1,500 and N2,000 was being sold between N3,000 and N4,500 while a dustbin basket of onions at the same market was between N6,500 and N7,500 as against N4,000 and N5,000 sold in May.
At Apo fish market, traders decried low patronage due to the price hike. Mr Idris Ahmed, a vegetable seller at the Apo market said he had cultivated the attitude of selling almost below his cost price just to turn-over and attract more customers.
He lamented that most of his customers now purchase things on credit paying up in two or three installments depending on the amount.
“With the low influx of customers to the market today, one will think that this is not even a weekend. Some of my co-traders in the market sell a dust bin basket of tomatoes for between N14,000 and N17,000 but I sell for N12,000.
“A dust bin basket of pepper, tatashe and shombo, goes for N18,000, N16,000 and N17,000 respectively while sweet potatoes goes for N3,000. Most of my customers who manage to come to the shop either want the price of the items slashed or want to buy the product on credit and I do not blame them.”
He urged the government to come to the aid of citizens and find a lasting solution to the increasing cost of food items in the market.
At Gwagwalada market, a basket of pepper which sold between N15,000 in May had now increased to N17,000. Madam Alheri Yohanna, a pepper seller, lamented that the price of a small paint bucket of tomatoes increased from N4,500 last week to N6,000. According to her, customers no longer buy in large quantities like before; everything is expensive, and people are managing. “Sometimes I go home without selling up to N5,000.”
Similarly, Hassan Husseini, a trader, said the price of a basket of onions has risen from N4,000 to N7,500. He said a basket of Irish potatoes which previously sold for N12,000 was now being sold for N14,000.
Mrs Rebecca Terve, a consumer, said the sharp increase in food prices had made it difficult for her to feed her family of five. She appealed to the government to address the factors contributing to the price hike, especially the cost of transportation to help stabilise the market and boost patronage.
Ms Ifeoma Atuegwu, single mother of three, said her standard of living was dropping on a daily basis.
She said she can no longer meet up with the cost of some of the basic required nutrients in her children’s meal like protein and has resorted to eating without them.
However, prices of bags of rice had dropped in the markets while the price of a bag of garri has remained stable.
A bag of rice at Nyanya, Wuse and Utako markets formerly sold between N80,000 and N87,000 was now being sold between N70,000 and N77,000 depending on the brand.
Mr Raphael Ogodo, a rice seller, said the drop in the price of rice would not be unassociated with the intervention on the product by the government.
Ogodo appealed for the same intervention on other food items to help drop their prices.
Meanwhile, motorists have decried the hike in pump price, saying it is frustrating. NNPC Retail Management has approved an upward review of the pump price of petrol from N895 per litre to N945 per liter, effective from June 23.
At the NNPC retail outlets in Abuja, the pump price increased by N50 while independent marketers also raised prices by between N45 and N60, depending on location and outlet.
Checks by NAN revealed that the NNPC retail stations immediately adjusted their pumps reflecting the new PMS Price of N955 as against N897 per liter.
Following the development, many commercial and personal vehicle owners had parked their cars as they could not afford the cost of fuelling them.
NAN reports that many commuters, including civil servants were seen stranded at various bus stops, because motorists, who could afford to buy fuel at the new price increased transport fares.
Some motorists expressed sadness about the situation, while calling on the Federal Government to intervene on the unstable fuel price and the hardship on citizens.
A civil servant, Mr. Mohammed Isa, said he now resumed work late since the increment as transport fares had increased.
“I have a car but I cannot afford the high cost of fuel. Using commercial vehicles is better now, and so many people are in this condition.
“There are lots of passengers at the bus stop but no vehicles and this is because there is no gain in the business anymore.
“We know it is not the government’s making but it needs to work on the roadmap to resolve the issue and avoid further problems,” Isa said.
Another civil servant, Mrs Chioma Smith, said the hardship was too much to bear.
“The hardship is too much. At times, I do not go to work because there is no money for transportation and feeding is even a bigger problem.”
Smith urged the government to rescue the citizens from the situation.
“I believe if the fuel price is stable the cost of goods and services will be stable.
“Whenever you go to the market now to buy food stuff, you will discover the price has increased and it is not supposed to be like this.
“Although, we are experiencing the rainy season and food is supposed to be cheap, but it is not so as we speak,” she said.
Alhaji Usman Ibrahim, businessman, said the removal of the fuel subsidy with no proper plans in place had affected the oil and gas sector as well as the nation’s economy.
“The dollars keep going high and it makes it difficult for the importers and marketers to buy petrol, this is because they need to sell as they buy to make their profit. If the government is not ready to make a lasting policy they should bring back the subsidy as a lot of citizens are suffering. The market is unstable and the hardship keeps getting worse daily,” Ibrahim said.
A taxi driver, Lasisi Gbenga, said things were complicated presently as drivers were battling with high cost of petrol and food.
“I run at a loss now because I buy at a high cost and if I increase the transportation, some passengers may not be able to afford it. I hear that workers’ salaries have not been increased as promised, so we also need to be considerate.
“My family depends on my daily returns and it has not been easy meeting up and with the latest increase I do not know what to do. This increment is affecting everything, food stuff has increased, even my landlord has increased his rent. I am begging our president to do something fast on the suffering of Nigerians as it is not easy for a lot of us please,” Gbenga said.
A Bolt and Uber driver, Uche Eze said the harsh economic situation has increased occasioned by the high cost of fuel.
He said there was no more profit in the business as he had been driving at a loss just to sustain his means of livelihood.
“People are not requesting for ride, they prefer going to the bus stop, I think I will just go home and sleep because this will be very hard, where are we going? The president needs to do something urgently.”
Mrs Chioma Nnemeka, retired civil servant, also urged the government to boost its Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) project across the country to boost utilisation of CNG vehicles to crash transport fares.
She said that over dependence on PMS was literally making it a scarce product, adding that when CNG becomes common, with its affordability and infrastructure nationwide, PMS would not be expensive anymore.
“I hear that PMS conversion to CNG is expensive, the government needs to make it affordable to all, I believe with this life will be a bit easier.
“I also urge the government to implement the minimum wage for civil servants and retirees as the hardship tells more on them.
“I am a widow, my children and I cannot feed, pay school fees or make other payments,” Nnemeka said.
A vegetable seller in Wuse market, Alice Jones, said that the last goods supplied to her had over N50,000, and she was experiencing low patronage.
“I am so worried, vegetables are not the kind of goods you can keep for a long time, now people are not buying because the price is high and I don’t blame them.
“If this my goods perish, I will stop selling because I borrowed money to add for the additional payment, how did we get here,” she said.