Some market leaders in Lagos metropolis have appealed to the federal government to as a matter of urgency find a lasting solution to insecurity being faced by farmers who have abandoned their farm lands due to constant kidnapping by bandits as this has been the major cause of food shortage and skyrocketing in the price of food items around the country.
The market leaders made the appeal during an interactive forum with the officials of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) who visited some of the bulk and whole sale food markets including Mile 12 food market and Oke Odo market ilepo bus stop Alimosho area of Lagos State.
The Chairman of Mile 12 international perishable market Alhaji Shehu Usman Jibril who said that mile 12 market is an open market pointed out that market unions do not inflate the prices of food items rather they ensure that food brought into the market are safe for consumption and not stolen.
He said while they have some people already farming in Lagos they have appealed to the Lagos State government for collaboration because Lagos is highly popular.
Alhaji Jibril who said most farmers have been displaced by bandits and are at the IDP camps regretted that a highly populated country like Nigeria is not farming or importing food.
Alhaji Jibril said there is no facility to preserve perishable food items such as tomatoes hence the reason behind the scarcity when it is not the season.
He said the only solution to food shortage in the country is farming and appealed to the federal government to find a lasting solution to insecurity being faced by farmers.
The general Secretary of Oke Odo market ilepo bus stop ,in Alimosho area of Lagos, Mr Olatunji Majesta who attributed the hike in food prices to cost of transportation and insecurity being faced by farmers said all hands must be on the desk to address the high cost of food items.
Mr Olatunji who also regretted the high cost of transportation because of removal of fuel subsidy said most of the farmers believed they will make more profit in big cities.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has been engaging in fact-finding interactions with Traders’ Associations and Marketers to ascertain factors responsible for the continuous hike in food prices.
This investigative mission is to gather information directly from the sources and stakeholders in major markets, particularly executives, market unions, sellers and consumers.
The Commission’s priority remains to unlock the markets and address key consumer protection and competition issues affecting the prices of commodities in the food sector.
FCCPC’s surveillance efforts suggest participants in the food chain and distribution sector including wholesalers and retailers are allegedly engaged in conspiracy, price gauging, hoarding and other unfair tactics to restrict or distort competition in the market, restrict the supply of food, manipulate and inflate the price of food in an indiscriminate manner.
The Head Lagos zonal office of the FCCPC Mrs Sussy Onwuka said the commission would develop a concise report of its inquiry and make recommendation to the government in accordance with Section 17(b) of the FCCPA and initiate broad based policies and review economic activities in Nigeria to identify and address anti-competitive, anti-consumer protection and restrictive practices to make markets more competitive while also ensuring fair pricing for consumers.
Coverage/ Chioma Ezike