By Chioma Okeke, Onitsha
Exorbitant living condition in Awka, Anambra State capital, has prompted some residents to cry out to government to be more sensitive in affairs affecting the people that include food items and other related products.
The reporter who conducted a market survey on nutrition related matters reports on Thursday in Awka that both traders and buyers expressed huge out cry on high cost of living.
Mrs Uju Chukwueme, a buyer seen in Nkwo Market in Awka appealed to government to intervene in high cost of food items for low income earners to feed their family averagely .
“ I am not taking of elaborate feeding these days but food that contains basic ingredient for balanced diet.
“A piece of frozen fish now sells for N1,200 at the least against between N 500 to N800 couple of months back, while big ones goes for between N1500 and N2000 ”she said
Chukwueme said that government should reconsider some of its economics policies that has affected the low income earners badly and reduce cost of governance to be able to show concern on the current hardship been experienced by all especially low income earners.
Mrs Cecila Nwazoyie, a fish seller said that the cost of fish believed to be for poor people are now out of reach for most customers as they now prefer to buy crayfish and broken dry fish in place of buying the frozen fish as was fashionable.
Nwazoyie said that the act has reduced their volume of sales and attributed the challenge to high cost of buying and transporting down the cartoons of fish to their various stores for sell to its customers.
She said that a cartoon of fish like mackerel sold around January to March between N18,000 and N22,000 now sales between N35,000 and N40,000 while Horse fish long ones sale between N50,000 and N66,000 and noted that the fake horse sells for N35,000 to N37,000.
“ We now sell one piece of fish between N1000, N1,200, N1500 and N2000 depending on the size so as to cover all expenses made for the purchase of the product and transport down to our shops,”she said.
Nwazoyie said that if government clamp down on the number of tout collecting different types of dues from the traders that cost of food items may not be that high plus the increase in dollar exchange because the fish is imported too.
Mrs Chioma Beluchukwu a trader who sells provisions said that product keep increasing per hour on the excuse of high rise of dollar and notes that government need to regulate market price as the traders increases product at will.
Beluchukwu said that the hardship level is truly off hand and noted that government needs to intervene with fair price regulation and the interval at which such increase should be allowed as such act will cushion effect of hardship and gives room for planning by the people on their daily spending.
Mrs Ngozi Imegwu said that a bag of Nigerian foreign rice sells between N51,000 to N 50, 000 while the foreign rice sells between N82,000 and above depending on the brand.
She said that local rice now goes for N18,000 to N20,000 against its original cost of N8000 to N12, 000 though the rice are sold based on its grade
Imegwu said that a sizable tuber of yam that sells between N600 to N800 before now sells between N1,500 to N1,800 while the small ones now sells between N800 to N900 and potatoes now sells between N500 to N100 against N150 and N300 it was formerly sold.
Mrs Grace Anagor a trader that trades on food items said that a bag of beans currently id N82,000 while cup of beans sold for N140 now sells for N170 making the painter measure to rise to N3,400 against N2,400, noted that cost of a red oil rose from N600 to N1000 or N1,100 all depends on the buying rate.
Anagor said that stew spices are not left on the rise of cost of buying while yellow garri which cost previously N600 to N800 now sells for N1,800 while the white garri sell N1600 against N400 of its past cost.
Mr Ike Abana a butcher who trade on goat meat said that the rise in dollar has affected their market because there is low patronage which lead to their buying of goats in small quantity to enable them sell off.
Abana said previously one can buy a good goat between N35,000 to N40,000 but with recent rise in dollar such goat now goes between N60,000 to N70,000 which really makes it difficult for them to get their profit at the end of the sales.