“It’s not looking like Easter”, Residents lament over Hardship     

“It’s not looking like Easter”, Residents lament over Hardship

By Sampson Uhuegbu

Some traders in Owerri, yesterday, decried the low patronage they are suffering and the high cost of food stuffs as Easter is being celebrated.

     Rice seller, at the Eke-ukwu market, Mr Chikadibia Iwu, told Daily Nigerian Telegraph reporter who visited the market for findings, disclosed  that the patronage this Easter period had been low, adding that customers could only buy a few things.

Iwu said the hardship in the country was  affecting his customers, thereby leading to little purchase of goods.

“Traders are not happy with the current economic situation of the country, as consumers could barely afford to buy goods because of the increase in prices which is not caused by us”.

“As you can see, traders are not in a festive mood as there is no lively that usually characterised the Easter season,” he laments.

  Mrs Veronica Anele, a Civil servant, told this newspaper, that the high costs of food items were really discouraging, adding, the difference in prices of goods in a matter of days were alarming.

   “Prices of Garri, rice, beans, tomatoes, onion, fish and others do not appear to reduce soon. It’s not funny,” she said.

Similarly, an oil seller, at the Ekeonunwa,  Gladys Duru, noted, that both vegetable and red oil were on high price compared with the past years’ Easter celebrations.

“During 2023 Easter, things were somehow cheaper and the market was also busy because our customers patronized us very well”.

“ But this year, I think,  It is the worst. I can count how many people that have bought my oil today, some will come around, ask about the price, after telling them; and they will turn back”.

    Speaking, a Federal government worker, Mrs. Ngolika Chukwuma, blamed government for having not looked into reasons prices of goods and services are on the rise. Chukwuma also knocked it for keeping mute in the face of challenges being faced by the citizenry.

     She pleaded with the federal and State governments to look into the harship being faced by Nigerians and tackle it.