From Yahaya Wakili, Damaturu
Food vendors and traders in Borno and Yobe States have attributed the high cost of food items to reopening of border by the Federal Government, stating that rather than reducing food price, the reopening of the border has escalated prices of food.
Others also added that aside the border reopening, activities of kidnappers and Boko Haram as well as the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic also affected the changes in the price of food in the two states.
Some traders and food vendors who spoke to our correspondent, on the increasing food price in the two states, observed that although the whole country is facing the same problem of food shortage and hike in its prices, the Northern part is having it more difficult despite the harvesting season.
Alhaji Baba Shanga, a business mogul and transporter in Yobe state told our Correspondent that the activities of kidnappers in the Northwest has contributed immensely in the shortage of food stuff in the country especially in the North.
He said, most of the people of these areas did not also have the opportunity of farming due to the activities of kidnappers and terrorists.
“This,” according to him “informed the rise in the price of food stuff by 20 per cent.”
Also Abubakar Idi Damaturu, a farmer said: “Only God knows what is happening this year. The common man will suffer. We are battling with Coronavirus pandemic, kidnappers, activities of Boko Haram/Islamic State for West African Province (ISWAP) and now the Federal Government has reopened our borders, which is also contributing to the shortage of food stuff.
“If the federal and state governments didn’t take concrete measures to address this matter, many people will die as a result of hunger, because people don’t have money to purchase the commodities,” he added.
He however commended the effort of the nation’s military for carrying out aggressive operations to finally decimate the remnants of the terrorists and kidnappers.
Observation in the markets across the two states however shows that a bag of millet is sold at N20,000, instead of N15,000 previously; guinea corn is now obtained at the cost of N17,000, instead of N13,000; white beans now is at N29,000, instead of N23,000; ground nut now sold at N30,000, instead of N25,000 and a bag of maize is now sold at N18,000, instead of N14,000 two weeks ago.
Malam Bunu Konduga, a trader at the Maiduguri Monday Market said those who are buying food stuff for distribution to IDPs are also part of the problem.
“Because they are buying in large quantity, the poor man can not get it with his money. These vendors are buying with large amount because they are getting double their price from the organizations they are supplying these commodities for,” Konduga explained.
