The Association of Traders and Marketers in Nasarawa State has frowned at the illegal taxation of buyers and sellers of food products at various markets in the state.
According to the association, in order not to short-change market actors, action will be enforced on price control in the state and urged perpetrators of such unwholesome act to desist forthwith.
Musa Turaki-Gamji, the State President of the association, made this known during an emergency meeting with market leaders and state officials of the association in Lafia.
Turaki-Gamji said the association is pained by the desperation of some members who are trying to frustrate the effort of the association in stabilising the economy in the state.
He added that anyone found defaulting approved marketing guidelines would face the full wrath of the law.
The association’s President insisted that quantity depreciation of food items is a serious threat, noting that, arrangements are being put in place by the government to provide an approved measuring scale (Mudu) to avoid unnecessary shortchange of buyers and sellers.
He exploded that, the development is not to witch-hunt anyone but to bring sanity into the affairs of buying and selling, as it is practised in other states, and assured the government and the general public of his administration’s plan to renew the system for progress.
On the issue of incessant adulteration of goods and contaminated foods items for public consumption, Turaki-Gamji warned those involved to desist from such habit, as it threatens the marketability of food produce.
He announced that a special investigative committee will be constituted to probe the activities of individuals, including those in the habit of illegal tax collection.
He however commended Governor Abdullahi Sule for rising to the occasion of bringing stability in the economy through the actions taken by the Ministry of Agriculture and that of Trade, Industry and Investment.
He then thanked some traditional rulers for wading into the issue of price control, adding that their intervention had impacted positively in addressing the avoidable development.
Some of the members at the emergency meeting who spoke to Business Day expressed satisfaction with the position reached at the meeting, believing it would bring succour in a wobbling economic situation.
The reaction of the association is coming on the heels of indiscriminate pricing of foodstuffs despite increasing harvest of food commodities.
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