…Residents demand government intervention as traders seek grants, lower levies By Ugochukwu Alaribe, Chinedu Adonu, Vincent Ujumadu, Jeff Agbodo, Chimaobi Nwaiwu and Emma Iheaka UMUAHIA — Residents and traders across the South-East have lamented the rising cost of goods and services, declining consumer purchasing power and worsening business conditions, urging the Federal Government to introduce measures to ease the economic hardship. From Aba and Umuahia in Abia to Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi in Anambra, Enugu, Abakaliki in Ebonyi and Owerri in Imo, traders said high transportation costs, fuel prices, multiple levies, weak purchasing power and other operating challenges had significantly affected their businesses. They said customers who previously bought goods in large quantities now purchase only what they could afford for immediate consumption, while many traders struggle to recover their capital. Aba residents lament rising food prices Residents of Aba, Abia State, said the prices of staple foods such as rice, beans, yam, tomatoes, garri, pepper and onions had risen beyond the reach of many families. They attributed the situation largely to rising fuel prices and the general increase in the cost of doing business. A housewife, Mrs Oluchi Nwankpa, said she previously spent about N20,000 to prepare a pot of soup for her family of five, but the amount could no longer provide what she described as a “rich pot of soup” capable of lasting the family for a week. A trader at Cemetery Market, Aba, Mrs Ada Emeka-Ogbugo, said customers had continued to complain about rising prices. “Prices of goods have continued to increase in the market. Whatever commodity you buy at a particular time must have an increase the next day and our suppliers tell us that they have no choice because the increase in fuel is affecting their cost of production. Everyone is affected because our customers are also complaining about price increase,” she said. Another trader, who identified himself as Friday, said consumers were now primarily concerned with buying food to survive. “You can observe that people are only interested in buying foodstuff to feed their families. Only survival matters now. Even foodstuff like rice, beans, yam and even bread are going beyond the reach of the ordinary man,” he said. Produce dealer blames security checkpoints, middlemen A produce merchant, Mr Egbu Peters, however, attributed part of the increase in food prices to alleged extortion by middlemen and security personnel at checkpoints along major highways. Peters, who deals in tomatoes, vegetables and okro, said traders often incurred additional costs while transporting produce from northern states to the South-East. He said commodity unions should not be blamed for rising food prices, arguing that they played a role in ensuring the distribution of farm produce across the country. According to him, traders travelling to states such as Kaduna and bringing produce to the South-East encounter numerous checkpoints where they are allegedly charged various amounts. He said the additional expenses incurred on transportation, middlemen and checkpoints were eventually reflected in the prices paid by consumers. Enugu traders lament declining patronage In Enugu, foodstuff dealers also complained of declining patronage and rising costs. A dealer, Mrs Ngozika Igbokwe, said consumers who previously bought large quantities of foodstuff could now afford only small portions. “We don’t sell goods like before. We find it difficult to sell after buying from the company or dealers. “Customers who used to buy plenty now buy only a little for their daily needs, and before you know it, the perishable goods will get spoiled,” she said. Igbokwe said a customer who previously bought four paint buckets of garri could now afford only one, while tomatoes that previously sold out within hours could remain in the market for days. She appealed to the government to reduce taxes imposed on traders and provide grants and other interventions to help small businesses survive. A petty trader at Ogbete Market, Mr Kevin Ugwuogor, said many traders who borrowed money to finance their businesses were finding it difficult to repay their loans because of low sales. “We are suffering now. We, the petty traders, are finding it difficult to survive. We borrowed money from banks to do business, but when you buy goods, you will not sell them quickly enough to recoup the money before the end of the month when you are expected to pay the bank interest,” he said. He urged the government to introduce measures to imp
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