Numerous residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) report struggling to afford food due to soaring prices of essential items.
The residents also lamented
further increase in transportation fares following the hike in the petrol pump
price.
They spoke to the News Agency
of Nigeria, NAN, on Sunday in Abuja.
According to them, the
increased fuel price had left residents grappling with the harsh realities of
rising living costs.
The residents said their once
manageable budget had spiralled into a daily struggle, primarily due to soaring
food prices and transportation fares.
They appealed to the Federal
Government and relevant authorities to take immediate action in addressing
these issues.
Mrs Maryam Abu, a mother of
three, said she often sat at her kitchen table these days with frustration, staring
at an empty pot.
“Last year, I could buy a bag
of rice for N50,000 and now, it is more than N100,000. How can I feed my
children?
“With my husband’s salary
barely keeping pace with inflation, I often have to choose between meals and
essential household items,’’ she said.
For Mrs Ekaite Obot, a civil
servant and a mother of four, the situation is no any better as she said she
had not been able to drive to work or church for the past five months.
“For over five months now, I
have not moved my car from the garage because I can no longer afford to fuel or
maintain the vehicle.
“The times are really tough for
my family. All the family expenses have been on me since my husband was
relieved of his job as a sales representative.
“I struggle to pay school fees, get household
items and feed the family and with this increasing cost of items , I do not
think we can continue to survive on my mini income,’’ Obot said.
Another civil servant, Mrs Mary
Umeh, while decrying the increased cost of living, said her saving grace was
the contribution (adashi) she was doing at work with some colleagues.
“We have several platforms
where we contribute money monthly and at the end of the year, we use the money
to buy various household items.
“It is almost Christmas now and
I do not have any savings, but I am not worried because I know that we will
soon use our adashi money to buy some household items.
“I am sure my family will be
able to manage the items and I will just need little money to buy other things
for the Christmas celebration,’’ she said.
Similarly, Mr Albert Nwakama, a
trader, decried his inability to fend for his family due to low sales of his
fairly-used clothing business, popularly known as “okrika” or second hand
wears.
Nwakama said he used to open
new bail of wears every two to three weeks, but in the past six months, he
could barely sell a bail of womens’ wears.
“I have not witnessed anything
like this since I began this okrika business nine years ago. Many customers who
used to buy my goods have stopped coming to my shop.
“Even some of those who used to
give me money in advance to enable me open new bails now come to me to borrow
money so they can feed their families.
“People are struggling to eat
and care for their families and buying of new clothing is no longer a priority
for families, thus, leaving people like me at a dilemma ,’’he said.
Mrs Nneka Azubuike, a teacher,
said the increased cost of living in the country had turned her into a
corporate beggar.
According to Azubuike, every
kid from a well to do family in the class that I teach has become my friend
because of my selfish reasons.
She said she paid more
attention to pupils from wealthy homes because at the end of the day, their
parents tend to appreciate her for her good deeds every now and then.
“I am aware this is unprofessional, but I have
to take care of my child because I am a single mom. My salary is not enough to
care for our needs.
“Also, I taught that with the
Dangote refinery, fuel price will reduce and transportation will become
affordable in the country, but the reverse is obviously the case.
“The government really needs to
find a way to address this transportation issue because it is affecting every
sector of the economy, especially food prices,’’ she said.
For a commuter like Ibrahim
Idris, the surge in transportation fares was eating eating deep into his budget
for other household necessities.
“I used to spend about N400 for
commuting to the office every day, but now I pay between N900 and N1,000.
“I am finding it extremely
difficult to keep up. I have cut down on most things, yet it is always
difficult for me to get to work five times in a week,’’ he said.
Mr Sule Adams, a vendor, said
his formerly booming business had now slowed as many families were now
tightening their belts.
“We are having a noticeable
decline in customers, and some who come to patronise us always want discounts,
which we normally oblige them because we want to make sales.
“Most customers, who used to
buy goods in large quantities and store in their homes, now buy less quantity.
because of the increased cost.
“It is hard for us too; we have
to pay for our supplies, and if people are not buying from us, we suffer
because we have families also to take care of,’’ Adams said.
Also, Ms Christabel Nicholas, a
small business owner, said she was facing an uphill battle as she had to choose
between raising prices, displeasing customers, or absorbing the high costs.
“I have had to increase my
prices due to the high cost of the items in the market, but my regulars are
complaining. It is really a tough decision.
“We need government
intervention to overcome this situation because Nigerians are sick, hungry,
suffering and dying,’’ she said.
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