From Uche Usim, Abuja
Prices of various foodstuffs in various markets in Abuja have doubled and in some instances tripled, as residents rush to stock their homes ahead of Saturday presidential and national assembly elections, which is barely 72 hours away.
Topping the list of skyrocketed goods is animal protein.
Checks by Daily Sun revealed that many butchers have traveled to their various destinations to vote and the few left could not meet up with the high demand, which automatically swelled the prices of beef and chicken.
Other foods which prices doubled include; fish, vegetables, yam, potatoes and other legumes.
At the popular Dutse market in Bwari Area Council of Abuja, shoppers wore forlorn looks as they grappled with stratospheric rise in prices of foodstuff amid naira scarcity.
A shopper, Yvonne Amaechi lamented; “Last week, I bought a hind leg of a goat for N7,000 and today, less than six days interval, I bought a smaller hind leg for N13,500 after I begged the butcher for a long time, almost making a fool of myself. The same applied to fish and other foodstuff. This is amid naira scarcity and severe electronic banking glitches. No one would allow you take the his wares home unless the credit alert comes in and reflects in the account balance. I spent over an hour with the butcher as we awaited the transaction details to come in.
“It’s a tragedy. I wonder what things would look like by tomorrow or Friday. Hell in now in Nigeria”.
Also lamenting, a butcher, Mr Shaheed Sani said said he could not get more than one goat to butcher and sell in parts.
“As at last weekend, a full goat went for N30,000. Today, I got one for N65,000. I could not buy more than one. I paid cash because the Fulanis the deal on ruminants do not accept transfers. Can you imagine that? That is why I also insisted that customers must pay me in cash.
“We don’t know where we’re headed. But, it’s well”, he lamented.
At the Utako market, shoppers milled various stalls to restock their homes ahead of the elections.
Mrs Aisha Mohammed, a civil servant, lamented terribly about the prices of goods.
“I got about five hands of plantain for N3,500. While I haggled, I was told restaurant owners will swoop on them if I didn’t buy them. I had to pay as my family loves it. No cash, yet food prices are tripled”.