VICTOR DURUAMAKU , Owerri
Following the persistent hardship in the country, most Nigerians particularly Imo state residents have called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to do something urgently to alleviate the suffering of the people which according to them, has entered the next level
The general opinion is that the persistent hardship in the country particularly in the Imo state has entered a new level and therefore becoming unbearable.
The Federal and State governments were therefore tasked to stand up to their responsibility of saving the people from hunger and hardship.
Most people spoken to however suggested that the federal government should review it’s policy on oil subsidy removal and consider either restoring the subsidy or bringing into play a better policy that would save the lives of the people.
In his opinion, Chief Godfrey Onyema Nnaji, an Owerri-based economist noted that the hardship was caused by the removal of the oil subsidy which immediately caused the skyrocketing of prices of essential commodities including the prices of food stuffs and cost of transportation in the state and country in general.
He further explained that the decline of the nation’s currency, the Naira in favour of the Dollar, has compounded the hardship situation by wrongly influencing the cost of goods and services in the country.
Chief Nnadi, the Chief Executive Officer, (CEO) of ” Gonnadi Consult Nigeria Ltd Owerri ) believed that the solution to the existing economic problem and the resultant hardship lies on the review of the oil subsidy removal and also doing some necessary things to shore up the strength of the Naira against the Dollar.
He further explained that the current situation has massively influenced the prices of food stuffs and other goods and services in the open markets.
According to him, ” the survey my company carried out recently on food stuffs and other goods, revealed that a sizable yam tuber which used to go for between N500 and N700 now costs between N2000 to N2500 and N3000, a tin paint of rice and beans costs between N5000 and N6OOO respectively in the open markets”
Also speaking further, the economist stated that the price of oil also went up as four liters of vegetable oil or grand nut oil as it is called in the markets, skyrocketed to between N5000 to N7000 depending on the quality of the oil while a handful of fresh tomatoes and pepper now costs between N500 to N700 depending on the market square.
A petty vegetable seller in Owerri central market known as, ” Ekeukwu Owerri” the woman, popularly known as Mama Ejima told our correspondent, that a small bundle of any vegetable which used to sell for N200 before now sells for between N500 to N700 attributing the sharp increase to the high cost of transportation.
According to her, “We do travel to the villages to go and buy the vegetables and in order to recover our transport fare, we make a slight increase in the price we sell a bundle of the Babita”
She suggested as a solution, the federal government should endeavour to bring down the pump price of fuel to reduce the transport cost of movements in the country or from urban areas to the hinter lands where the vegetables and fruits are fetched and taken to the urban areas for final consumption
Mama Ejima insisted that the governments of the day were responsible for whatever economic problem Nigerians are facing today pointing out that the governments know what to do to bridge or stop entirely the suffering of the people.
In his own opinion, a just retired top civil servant, who chose to be anonymous told our correspondent that state governors and some political leaders who have hands in the management of the revenue accruing to the states should be held accountable.
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