• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Group calls for ban of market unions over price hike

Group calls for ban of market unions over price hike

Coalition of South-East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), a socio-political organisation, has appealed to Abia State government to ban all market unions in the state to remove monopoly and ensure that people buy goods at reduced rates.

This is as they condemned hike in prices of food items like garri, noodles and other items, in Aba, the commercial hub of the state and other areas of the state.

The group in a statement, signed by Goodluck Ibem, president general, COSEYL, and Kanice Igwe, secretary, COSEYL, alleged that leaders of garri union in Allen Market in Ariaria area of Aba, Monday, March 30, 2020, forced a garri dealer to sell his goods above his approved price of N14,000 per bag for N35,000 per bag, thereby increasing the price of the commodity by more than 100 per cent.

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A paint bucket of garri, which sold for N600 to N700 before the Coronavirus restrictions in the area, increased to N1,500. A cup of garri is now N100, instead of three cups for N100.

“The food market union now takes decisions that are contrary to the orders of the Governor of the state. They now wield so much power that could lead to the untimely death of so many people, through hunger.

“The Governor should ban these wicked market unions, whose aim and purpose is to ensure that Abians suffer and starve to death.

“As a group mandated, by the people to speak for them, we will not fold our hands and watch wicked market union leaders exploit helpless people, because of the lockdown.

“We call on the Abia State government, the Commissioner for Trade and Investment, the Abia State Price Regulatory Board and the Taskforce Committee for Covid-19 to immediately move into action and stop this wickedness.

“We demand immediate ban of all market unions and prosecution of those found culpable in exploiting people, because of the one-week lockdown”.