Dateline Lagos 1941-1946: The Gari war

The world was at war. The colonial government of Nigeria recognised early that the country was going to need to be self-sufficient in food, as importation could not be guaranteed under war conditions. In addition, the country could not afford the luxury of industrial action, especially if it was going to affect local productivity.

General Defence Regulations were promulgated by the government. They banned strikes and gave the government power to introduce measures to control the prices of commodities.

From 19^th February, 1941, a Food Price Control Scheme took effect under Captain A.P.Pullen, Inspector of Prices and Deputy Commissioner for Native Foodstuffs.

The scheme began with the publication of a “control” price list for common items, to be used by all retailers, including market men and women.

“Controlled” items at the outset included gari, pepper and beans. The list was soon expanded to include Egusi, Beef and Pork.

In short order, the “controls” expanded further to include items such as carrots, turnips and cabbage which were mostly consumed by the European population.

The “control” prices would be subject to periodic revision based on market conditions.

Straight from the start, the price control measures aroused much hostility from the Lagos public. The market women, under the aegis of the Lagos Women Market Association, felt they were being “priced out” of a living, and were dead set against it. The Lagos newspapers, such as The Daily Service and West African Pilot were harsh in their criticism and wanted “controls” to be abolished. Even the general public, who were supposed to be the beneficiaries of a system that cut out “middlemen” and “profiteers” to try to ensure stable and reasonable prices, were against it.

To be sure, prices of basic commodities had become very high in the markets of Lagos by the onset of the Second World War in 1939. There were several factors at play. Foodstuff such as rice that was transported from the north of the country was more expensive to get to the market due to the decline in the quality and efficiency of the Nigerian Railways operations that had been ongoing for about a decade for several reasons.

The implementation of the “Pullen Scheme” began with efforts to enforce the new prices in the markets. Anybody found to be selling above the “control” prices was liable to be arrested, tried and imprisoned. A few scapegoats were apprehended and subjected to harsh prison sentence. A particular case in point was Fawaz, a Syrian trader at Ereko market. For selling a twenty-pound bag of rice for seven shillings, instead of the controlled price of six shillings, four pence, she was sentenced to four months in prison.

Lagos market women saw the whole Pullen initiative was as a direct, existential threat to themselves and the essence of Lagos market culture. Soon enough, it became an eyeball to eyeball war of attrition between Captain Pullen and Alimotu Pelewura, the Iyaloja. As the days passed, the war crystallised over the most basic food item of local consumption – Gari.

As matters escalated, each side dug in.

Government buyers began to travel long distances into the hinterland to buy food directly from farmers. UAC, a corporate behemoth, became involved in storing and selling commodities at controlled prices. “Pullen stalls” were opened in new markets such as Yaba to control the process end to end. The traditional markets which were not complying were now effectively a “black market”.

The Pullen stalls became important for people wanting to buy gari and other staples at low prices. But they could not sustain supplies. Long, bad-tempered queues formed overnight. By 10 am, the supplies had vanished for the day.

Other people excluded from the supply chain were feeling the pinch too. The gari sellers of Ijebu Ode, who were cut out because government bought directly from producers stationed their members at Sagamu to forcibly stop and inspect every Lagos-bound lorry and to impound every bag or gari bound for government stores.

At one point, Pelewura and her irate supporters invaded a meeting of the Agege Town Council to protest the Pullen measures. They threatened to go full tilt in black market operations. They fired off a petition thumb printed by one thousand and three hundred of their fellows.

Lagos market women saw the whole Pullen initiative was as a direct, existential threat to themselves and the essence of Lagos market culture. Soon enough, it became an eyeball to eyeball war of attrition between Captain Pullen and Alimotu Pelewura, the Iyaloja

Four separate peace meetings were convened with the Commissioner of the Colony and his deputy. Pullen reaffirmed his intention to continue to sell not only gari, but also palm oil, rice and pepper.