ON the lips of many Nigerians across the country are
lamentations and tales of woe as hardship occasioned by the prevailing wind of
recession bites harder. Apart from feeding, a host of the citizenry, who spoke
to Vanguard, said they are finding it difficult to meet other basic needs of
life.
Price of foodstuff doubles in Imo, Jigawa: The current
hardship sweeping across Imo State, hit a feverish pitch, weekend, as the
prices of some major staple foods have gone out of the reach of many families.
Vanguard’s check at markets in Owerri revealed that most food items had gone up
by 100 to 150 percent in the state. A bag of rice now goes for between N23,000
and N25,000, as against N8,000 in 2014.
Similarly, 30-litre container of palm oil that was sold for
N5,000, now goes for N12,500, while a measure of beans now sells for N1,500 as
against N500. A tiny ball of onion sells for between N10 and N20, depending on
the bargaining power of the buyer, as a small paint bucket of garri, which was
sold for N300 now goes for between N700 and N850. Most residents who spoke to
Vanguard said that their purchasing power has gone down so badly that they are
barely managing to survive.
“We have either deleted completely or reduced the frequency
of serving some foodstuffs in my family’s menu. Food items have really gone out
of the reach of poor people in Imo State”, a widowed mother lamented. Continuing,
the anguished mother said: “My children and I have been surviving by sheer
God’s grace. It has not been easy to pay our medical bills and the children’s
school fees”. A staff of one of the ministries in Owerri, said it has not been
easy for Imo workers and pensioners.naira-dollar
Salaries and pensions
“It is no longer news that those of us that can be said to
have received salaries and pensions, were largely underpaid for months. You
can, therefore, imagine what we are passing through”, the civil servant said.
In her own contribution, Mrs. Augustina (surname withheld) said that the
economic situation in the country was sending heads of families crazy. I am
aware that many families have adopted divergent ways to tackle the economic
crisis, including withdrawal of their children from private schools”, Mrs.
Augustina said.
A young man, who simply identified himself as Harrison,
lamented that “the ugly situation in the country has led to massive reduction
of jobs in various sectors of the economy”. Meanwhile, a visit to the red light
districts in Owerri municipality at the weekend, showed that prostitution was
gathering momentum. “I am in this business (prostitution) because of the
hardship members of my family are passing through.
We lost our father three years ago and my mother can’t get
her pensions”, a young girl sobbed as she narrated her story.” Asked if
prostitution was the only way out of the economic crisis, the girl said: “Where
is the capital to even start sale of groundnut or crayfish? I was given a sales
job that was to give me N5,000 monthly. What can this solve for a family of
seven? This is how I found myself in this business”. She appealed to government
to make good their promise of creating jobs and improving the sagging economy.
A transporter, who identified himself as Onye Army, lamented
that “commercial transport owners are equally finding things hard. Fuel has
jumped from N87 to 145 per litre. The Naira has since been messed up by the
American dollar. The costs of new and used cars have hit the skies. The same is
also true of motor spare parts and this is why fares have been adjusted in line
with the reality of the time”, he said.
A similar scenario obtains in Jigawa where prices of
foodstuffs and other essential commodities in major markets and mini shops have
rising by 150 per cent thereby throwing many households into economic chaos.
The situation is worsened by the closure of Niger Republic boarder through
which food items such as rice, spaghetti, macaroni, milk, vegetable oil and other
assorted goods are imported to Nigeria.
The development has compelled many people especially those
living in rural areas to revert to local foods such as moringa, cassava and
their related leaves combined with groundnut cake popularly known as kulikuli. Even
garri has been priced beyond the reach of many people. A small measure of rice
is now N1,100 as against N500 while local rice goes for N800-N900 as against
N350-N400 in the past.
A mudu of beans is N800 as against N400, while a pack of
Maggi star is N360 as against N250. A carton of Indomie noodles sold for N1,800
now costs N2,500. A kilo of meat which sold at N800 now costs N1,200 and a kilo
of fish is now N800 as against N600; kilo of chicken now costs N1,000 as
against N600. A sachet of powder peak milk sold at N35 is now N50; a mudu of
sugar is now N1,100 as against N600, flour cost N580 as against N350. Big pack
of stick matches now costs N50 as against N25.
Asked how he is coping, Malam Abdulkahar Mohammed, said he
and his family now eats twice a day. “Life isn’t easy with the increase in
everything and money is hard to get. It is not easy to get job and even those
with jobs, their salaries are not enough for them to cater for their daily
needs.
The circumstance had compelled many of us to withdraw our
children from private schools back to government schools as an alternative for
them to pursue their education,” he said. Malam Aliyu Dangida, one of the
parents who have withdrawn their children from private schools and enrolled
them in government schools, said: “I have six children in private schools, but
with the increase in their fees by over 100 per cent, I can’t afford to
continue paying their fees. So, I have transferred them to government schools.”
Families cry out in Abia
Residents of Aba, Abia State have cried out over the soaring
prices of foodstuffs in the market, and urged the government to introduce
policies to check the trend. Vanguard investigations revealed that some
families have devised stringent measures to tackle the prevailing situation.
Such measures include ‘skipping meals’ and avoiding those they classify as
luxury. Some are used to taking breakfast and skipping lunch to have dinner
while others take light meals to save cost.
It was also discovered that some men have set up small scale
businesses for their wives to generate more income for the family. A visit to
major markets in the city revealed that price of foodstuffs has sky-rocketed
beyond the reach of consumers. Worst hit are the prices of staple foods like
rice, beans and yam. A bag of rice sells for N21, 000 from N11, 000 while a cup
of foreign rice goes for N120.
It was also discovered that a bag of local rice sells for
N10, 000 while a cup goes for N80.A tuber of yam sells for N700 from N400,
while a bottle of Kings cooking oil has gone up from N250 to N450. A cup of
beans which was sold for N60 now goes for N90, same for carton of tomatoes
which now sells for N1, 500 from N1, 200.
A bowl of garri consisting of 16 cups has gone up to N600
from N400. On the other hand, a family size loaf of bread sells for N600 from
N400 while a basket of tomato fluctuates between N12, 000 and N18, 000
depending on availability. A bag of pepper, which formerly went for N12, 000
has gone down to N4, 000.
A bottle of palm oil is now N400 from N200. A carton of ice
fish has shot up to N13, 500 from N9, 000 while a bowl of crayfish sells for
N1,500 from N1,200. A housewife, Nnenna Nwabeke, said: “Prices of everything
has shot up in the market. I used to make a pot of soup with N3, 000, but today
it is no longer possible. You will spend N400 to buy only vegetable. Even the
normal ice fish, which my family prefers for rice and stew now sells for N1, 500
from N500 each.
The woman, who I buy fish from told me that the price of a
carton of ice fish now sells for N13, 500 from N9, 000. The worst thing is that
any foodstuff you buy for N100 today will soar to N200 before two days. It is a
terrible situation. People are dying of hunger. The government should do
something to assist the citizenry.”
Exorbitant fees
A lecturer at the Abia State Polytechnic who declined to
have his name on print, lamented that he had to return his two children to the
public school as he could no longer afford the exorbitant fees being charged by
private school. “I have two children in higher institution, including the
younger two in private school. I had to withdraw them from private school to
the public one because I can no longer afford it.
I’m being owed six months salary; how can I feed my family,
pay bills and school fees for my children? It has been difficult for me in the
last three months that we had to adjust some expenses due to lack of money. My
wife runs a boutique, but she no longer gets patronage as before. It takes tact
and careful planning for any family to survive this period.
” Speaking on the situation, Harold Nwanne who deals on
dredging equipments in the city said the dwindling economic situation has
adversely affected many businesses as families are now preoccupied with
survival strategies. He said, “There is hunger in the land; every family is now
concerned with how to survive.
I blame the government; yesterday’s jamboree has turned to
today’s misfortune. There was a lot of miscalculation on petrol dollars; they
thought that oil sales would continue even when most countries had developed
alternative energy. The government should invest in social welfare and rebuild
infrastructure.”
Traders record low sales: Businessmen in Aba also lamented
that customers no longer patronise them. Chairman of the National Association
of Nigerian Traders, NANTS, Ariaria chapter, Deacon Michael Aniorji, said: ‘’We
are finding it difficult to make sales. Our customers are complaining that they
don’t have money to make purchases. It boils down to the dwindling economic
situation in the country.
It is high time the government introduced policies to boost
the local economy. Unlike the situation before now, you can stay in the market
from morning to evening without anybody asking if your wares are for sale. It
is only when you make sales that you get the profit to take care of your family
needs. We have the stock but no sales.’’
Recession in Bayelsa: In Bayelsa, residents have devised
copy mechanisms to survive the recession as prices of food stuffs such as
garri, rice, beans, and yam and bread among others soar by over 100 per cent. A
bag of rice previously sold between N11, 000 to N14, 000 is now sold at N22,
000 to N24, 000. A bowl of garri formerly at N300 is now N500. A bread of N250
is now N400. A tuber of yam now goes between N500 to N1, 000 depending on size.
The dire situation in Bayelsa state has been aggravated due
to the delayed and infrequent payment of salaries to workers in the
predominantly civil service state where one third of the population are civil
servants. Unfortunately, the state and local governments owe their workers
backlog of salary arrears following the drastic drop in federal allocations.
The state government now pays half salaries to workers.
This scenario has piled more misery on many families and
plunged many into starvation and huge debts. Many families hardly afford two
square meals daily. Most families now skip meals and are contented with eating
once daily while staple foods like garri and rice which used to be a common
menu in many homes are now considered as luxury.
Many families now resort to cheap and affordable food
substitutes, like coco yam and in Yenagoa for instance, many families now
consume locally made bread called Madiga in local dialect, even though it is
said to be high in bromate. Many parents have withdrawn their children from
private schools to access the tuition free public schools in the state.
A resident of Yenagoa, Mr Akene, a father of four, said he
had to withdraw one of his daughters from a more expensive school to a cheaper
one while his last child who is over three years old could not be enrolled due
to the economic situation. We also gathered that some parents have stopped home
lessons for their children and disengaged private drivers.
We gathered that most private schools have also downsized
their work force or in most cases slashed workers’ wages. In the state civil
service, findings indicate that the electronic mandatory clock introduced to
ensure punctuality and check absenteeism is no longer tenable as civil servants
barely go to work promptly due to high transportation cost. Some residents, who
cannot afford exorbitant rents in the cities have sent their families to their
country homes and moved into smaller apartments.
Foodstuff business
Some understanding landlords now accept instalment payments
and other concessions. Commodity trading in food stuffs and transportation seem
to be attractive now in the state. A seamstress, Miss Naomi, who abandoned her
tailoring job to venture into foodstuff business, said that people are not
thinking of clothes or fashion but food first.
“In this present economic situation, what people are
thinking is food and food. Nobody is thinking of clothes because you must eat
before you think of fashion. Look around, other businesses are on standstill
but at all times people must buy foodstuff, and that is why I started it.” Now,
many people go to the hinterland to buy foodstuff and fruits for sale in the
city.
With low construction activities, many young people have
embraced commercial tricycles popularly called Keke NAPEP operators.
The hunger in the land has led to an upsurge in criminal and
cult activities. A new trend of thieves have emerged, they dispose people
mainly of their food stuffs, phones and electronic gadgets.
Religious centres, schools record low attendants in Ekiti
In Ekiti, the tales of lamentation are very loud as
residents lament on the daily increases in price of foodstuffs, especially rice
which is one of the common food consumed in Nigeria. In Ekiti, government is
the largest employer of Labour and workers dictate the pace of the state’s economy,
but presently they are being owed six months salary arrears. In-spite the
parlous nature of the state’s economy, the prices of foodstuffs and other
commodities keep increasing daily.
For example the price of a bag of rice, which is the staple
food of the people in this area jumped from N8,500 to N20,000 and locally
produced one, which could serve as alternative has also moved up, almost
matching the imported one Mrs Kike Adeyemi, a clothes seller, Mrs Jumoke
Ogundele, a provision seller and most of the residents, who spoke to Vanguard
complained about the low inflow of money, rising costs of foodstuffs and
essential commodities.
They therefore implored the federal government to finance
the small scale farmers with capital and other necessary equipment to
facilitate the productivity. Private Schools are not left out of the effect of
the gloomy economy as many parents have withdrawn their wards to public
schools. Churches and other religious houses in the state are also suffering
from the economic crunch, as many worshippers prefer to stay at home.
Lagos residents lose purchasing power
Source:Vanguard
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