While people world over celebrated Christmas and Boxing Day in style, residents of Imo State bemoaned effect of skyrocketed prices of commodities.
Following a market survey carried out by Toast FM, prices of food items, clothing, and foot wears among others have shot up in the past few weeks in markets across the State.
According to findings, it was discovered that prices of grains like rice, maize and beans indicated galloping increase, a trend which exposed residents to hardship.
A check at Ekeonunwa Market showed that dry fish formerly sold at #1500 is now #2500, Sizes of Stock Fish sold at #400 is now #600, and red oil formally sold at #12,000 per gallon is now #18,500.
Speaking to Toast FM reporters, Emeka, a vendor at Rotibi, a lane popular for the sales of different beverages, blamed the hike in price of goods on increase in Dollar.
He said articles like Lighter formerly sold at #35,000 per carton is now #40,000, Handkerchief-#800,000 per bale as against its old price of #350,000 per bale, cotton board-#28,000 against its old price #22,000.
On the part of wears; a dealer when asked, disclosed that foot wears formerly sold at #1500 is now #2500, while Ankara Materials (High Target)-#7000 as against its old price of #5000 and Super Print Ankara now #1700 as against its old price of #1500.
Chicken, a more popular source of protein during Christmas celebration, was also not left out of the hike.
A medium size chicken formerly sold for 3000/4000 now sells at 6000/7000, with the reason heaped on the price of chicken feed.
A journey further into the main market known as Eke Onuwa ushered one showed individuals who had come to make purchases for the yuletide celebration but seemed confused.
While decrying the sudden increase in prices of food stuff, Clarisa, called on the state government to help ease their suffering.
According to her, “I was here last week. It’s surprising to find items I bought that time to have now added 200 or more.
She further stressed that the surprising hike has forced her to adjust her list, “The things I came to buy,(salad items) I have to leave some.”
Some residents in separate interviews advocated price controls to regulate prices to protect consumers from exploitation.
Sad as it is, it is not an uncommon practice for market traders to double or triple prices of items, especially in the south east.
Reasons for these, as discovered, following interactions with traders and buyers, range from additional charges from Middlemen, increased security checkpoints resulting to more monies given out by commercial drivers, and the desire to make quicker profits.
Report by LILIAN DURU-VALENTINE and OZIOMA OFEM
