Eid-el-Kabir: buyers attribute higher cost of food items to Sallah
NAN-HE-1
Eid-el-Kabir
By Lilian Chukwu
Lagos, Sept. 1, 2017 (NAN) Some sellers and buyers in major markets in Lagos on Friday attributed the high cost of food items in markets to the Eid-el-Kabir festivities.
They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the festivities had caused higher cost of food items in markets.
According to them, the cost of food items were generally higher than before the Eid-el-Kabir.
Mr Tajudeen Osuolale, a ram seller at Oyingbo Market, said that a big ram was now between N50, 000 to N90, 000 depending on the size.
Osuolale said that this could not be compared to the price range of about N40, 000 to N30, 000 before the festivities.
“The truth is that the high cost is affecting not only our sales, but also the profit because many people have stopped buying rams to go for alternatives.
“Today, out of about 20 buyers that have priced rams, only four people could afford to pay, others just asked for the amount and left,” he said.
Alhaji Samaila Maiglas, a buyer at Ijora market, said that the high cost led to the reduction in the size and number of rams he bought.
Maiglas said that his intention was to buy about three rams with N90, 000.
“But I succeeded in getting only two rams with the N90, 000. This implies that my budget for other items equally reduced,” he said.
Mrs Ifeoma Ufokere, a tomato and onion seller at Balogun Market, said that a basket of tomatoes were being sold for between N21, 000 to N18, 000, depending on the type.
Ufokere said that a bag of onion was being sold for between N22, 000 and N22, 000 depending on the size, adding that this could not be compared to the range of N10, 000 to N15, 000 before the celebration.
“The fact is that there is scarcity of the items before the celebration. But if the Federal Government can open up the border to allow for free flow of imported food stuffs.
“This will go a long way to enhance availability of food items in the country which will invariably lead to reduction in the prices,” she said.
Meanwhile, major roads in Lagos metropolis were free of traffic gridlock on Friday due to the Eid-El-Kabir celebration.
Mr Shaaibu Rabiu, a passenger, said that it took him less than 30 minutes to move from Lagos Island to Ijora.
Rabiu said that this was a journey that normally took more than two hours on working days.
“I was surprise to get to my destination in less than 30 minutes.
“Normally, it takes me more than two hours to get to Ijora because I spend like 30 minutes waiting for the bus to be filled up and another two hours on the road due to traffic gridlock,” he said. (NAN) LUC/ENN/TÁ
Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Tajudeen Atitebi