Controlling High Cost Of Goods During Festivities
The popular saying that Nigerians at every point are opportunists has continued to erode into both the conscious and sub-consciousness of our people unabated.
And from all indices, the end of this dangerous and ugly trend appears not to be near. Though generally seen as Nigerian style, all indication point to the fact that the situation is worse in the Southeast of Nigeria.
A situation where our traders rather than help to bring sucour to their fellow citizens turn to be shylocks of the bible is condemnable indeed.
Before now, precisely three months ago, a bag of rice for instance sold at about eight thousand and nine thousand naira.
So also was the cost of other stable commodities like beans, yam, onions, garri, groundnut oil and other foodstuff.
All these formed the daily meal of our people all year round.
Surprisingly within the past one month now, the prices of the above commodities have astronomically increased to the detriment of the users who must buy them to live on.
However, there is no tangible reason why the sudden increase in the price of the commodities other than the fact that Christmas is around the corner.
The question here now is, is Christmas a good or bad celebration? If actually it is the time Christians commemorate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, are we not supposed to express this through charity, benevolence and love for one another?
We think that the sudden increase of price of goods and commodities because we are celebrating Christmas or any other such ceremonies is counter productive and negates the spirit of such ceremonies.
After all, the commodities and goods so inflated are the same in the past months and in the same market. Therefore, one wonders what should prompt this self imposed high price if not by opportunists and greed.
It may not be the best way of life to cash on every little opportunity to add on peoples suffering especially these days when people and families are managing themselves.
This therefore bring us to the role of the various price regulatory bodies in the country who go about as if all is well.
In as much as these price regulatory bodies are adamant in carrying out their responsibilities, Nigerians will continue to be shortchanged by these shylock traders who will always cash on every little opportunity to perpetuate hardship on the masses.
The respective government agencies and indeed the state and federal government should wake up to their responsibilities to ensure that these self inflated high price of goods and commodities especially during such festivals like Christmas are checkmated in the over all interest of the citizens.
World Bank Residents Suffer Blackout
It is crystal clear that steady power supply is part of the hallmark of modern democracy.
The epileptic power supply experienced in Owerri city has become alarming. The issue appears to be worse in the World Bank area of Owerri. For over three months now, it is black-out.
While the population density of the World Bank metropolis keeps rising at an alarming frequency; the number of fast food and hotel buildings keep increasing.
This development may be responsible for the issue of electricity failure in World Bank Owerri.
The numerous residential houses and these towering hotel buildings use a lot of electricity gadgets such as washing machines air conditioners and other things of the kind.
To this end, the already decrepit neighbourhood transformers and cables are over loaded; leading to poor electricity supply.
Against this background, there is untold inflation in the supply of goods and services. This also includes the payment of rentages by common tenants. As excepted, landlords now and again, brandish letters of increment in rents, as they intend to recup the expenses which they incurred in buying gas to generate electricity for themselves.
Similarly, the public nuisance created by the local generators is becoming atrocious. Worse still, citizens endanger their health by the emissions released from the generator sets mounted in every nook and cranny of the area. It is indeed, a nightmare.
Form the foregoing, even the blind man can see that there is need to correct this anormally.
The government most therefore, take the drivers seat to restrain hotels in World Bank areas from sharing the same transformer with the rest of the citizenry. Since their activities require the availability of high voltage power supply; it is here, submitted with humility, that they install their own independent electricity cables and transformers.
Again, the “power holders” should not assume the position of “power withholders”. They should as much as practicable, replace weak cables and give the environment effective power supply in World Bank area of Owerri.
Except this is a deliberate attempt to deflate the level of supersonic development already witnessed in the area recently.
