For the past three months Nigerian citizens especially Rivers residents have continued to lament hike in the prices of food items, orchestrated by the removal of fuel subsidy by the present administration.
The market trend shows that there is constant rise in prices of goods without equivalent increase in salaries and wages. The implications center on the adverse effect on the citizens wherein in Rivers State people are complaining bitterly as majority are unable to make ends meet. Many are suffering from malnutrition, many are mad as a result of hunger. Poverty has taken root in the country, which some respondents ascribe to maladministration and failure of the government to address the problems facing the nation.
Many residents of Port Harcourt lament and cry out when interviewed by our reporters more as inflation rate continues to climb high and as some families say they have to borrow money just to put food on their table. They lament that life is becoming unbearable. They told our reporters that the cost of feeding their families exceeds their monthly earnings, leaving them with no other option than to borrow. They complained bitterly that Nigeria is currently hell on earth as a result of the high cost of living occasioned by the poor economic policies and programs that are further propelled by the removal of fuel subsidies upon the assumption of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s regime.
Mr. Joshua Effiong a father of four who is a welder at the Rumuola axis of Port Harcourt told our reporters that it will soon come to a point when people will be committing suicide, and men running away from their families. He said a big loaf of bread is now sold at N1500, how many will he buy for two days when he has four children? He also revealed that half bag of Nigeria local rice formerly sold at N17,500 is now sold at N26,000 and the minimum wage is N30,000, stating that if one buys the rice, what of the condiments to augment it?
Mr Joshua Effiong further said that when fuel goes up, it drags everything up, he however calls on the government to fix our refineries stating that if that is done, the cost of fuel will not be up to N600 per liter. He also advises the government to look for intelligent people, have a round table conference, and discuss and dialogue the going forward of this country in order to avoid sending Nigerians to their early graves.
The situation also is having a dangerous turn on traders at some major Port Harcourt markets. Most of the traders who spoke to our reporters said they are recording low patronage as shoppers can hardly afford to pay for their products. They said the heat is mostly on salary earners whose salaries remain stagnant despite the hike in goods and services unlike the traders who sell based on how they bought.
