TRADERS MAKE HUGE PROFIT AS ENUGU RESIDENTS LAMENT RISING COST OF COMMODITIES AND TRANSPORTATION FARES

Ahead of market shutdown in Enugu State on Wednesday April 1, 2020 some people making last minute shopping at Ogbete Main market, Enugu have expressed worry over the increasing cost of food stuff, wares and other commodities in the market.

The atmosphere at Ogbete Main Market Enugu appears like that of a festive season where people surge to make purchases, just as there has been serious traffic on the Holy Ghost-Chris-Chemist and Old Park axis of the market road. Traders seen making brisk businesses say they enjoy the patronage as some people engage in panic buying over Wednesday’s lockdown.

One of them is a crayfish seller Mr. Smart Ukoh who says the cost of a painter of cray fish has risen by almost fifty percent.

“Business has been good and I’m enjoying it while it lasts. Normally we sell one painter for two thousand naira but now it’s two thousand, four hundred naira,” Mr. Uko said happily.

However, some buyers, including Mr. Chidiebere Odezuru, Mrs. Kasiemobi Okeke and Mrs. Chioma Onu, bemoan what they describe as astronomical rise in the cost of commodities and call for urgent government intervention.

“Things are really costly now, this clothing material I used to buy at four thousand is now five thousand, five hundred naira,” Mr. Odezuru lamented.

For Mrs. Kasiemobi Okeke “This is just too much, packet of noodles I use to buy for two thousand now goes for three thousand five hundred naira; even a painter of garri we use to buy between three hundred and fifty naira and four hundred naira is now sold at one thousand two hundred naira. This is just too costly,” Mrs. Okeke cried out. It was a similar complain when Mrs. Onu says “I came to the market with ten thousand naira but I couldn’t buy up to six items. Seriously I’m appealing to government to help us.”

In the meantime, the Chairman Ogbete Main Market Traders Association, Mr. John Ezeh says any of his members who fails to comply with the State Government’s directive for closure of the market will be arrested just as he points out that not all sections of the market will; be shut down.

“Food items, pharmaceuticals, hospital equipment and other essential items will not be closed down so that we will not die of hunger,” Mr. Ezeh clarified.

On development in the transport sector, some commuters say they are unhappy that the cost of transportation has soared high due to the social distancing directive. An essential service worker, Mr. Charles Chinweike Uche says the situation has eaten deep into his finances.

“If I’m going to Garriki: from my house in GRA to Holy Ghost bus stop is fifty naira an then from here Holy-Ghost—Chris-Chemist to Garriki is seventy naira.

“But suddenly everything increased: from Garriki to here (Chris-Chemist) is two hundred naira; from here (Chris-Chemist) to Abakpa is one hundred and fifty naira, it’s alarming nah,” Mr. Uche lamented.

Similarly the cost of inter-State travels has increased by one hundred percent. However the Manager of a Mass Transit Bus outfit, Chief Stanley Onwura Eneh decry low patronage.

“Each day we use to move between eight to ten buses to Lagos and Abuja but now it’s just between two and three buses per day. “Now instead of carrying fourteen to fifteen passengers, now we carry nine passengers: two-two per seat,” Chief Onwura lamented.

Radio Nigeria also observes that some Mass Transit buses still load to States and capital cities that have closed their borders, including Ebonyi State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) but say they terminate at the borders.

CHUKWUBUIKE MADU

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