By Kelvin Osa Okunbor
The Chairman, Mile 12 International Market, Lagos, Alhaji Shehu Usman Jibril, has decried the continued loss suffered by sellers at the market, as their perishable goods waste away due to low patronage during the lockdown.
He also condemned the attacks on approved vehicles conveying goods to customers, who ordered for them online.
Jibril, who at the weekend, addressed reporters monitoring markets in compliance with the COVID-19 lockdown, said that vehicles conveying food items such as yam, plantain and others were attacked by hoodlums at Surulere and Ogudu and the items were stolen.
“Another flash spot is the Lekki axis. Our trucks on that route were blocked and the assailants made away with more than 100 tubers of yam, two bags of rice in one swoop alongside other items. These incidents have slowed down our reach in the supply chain and to those we make supplies.”
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He said orders for the goods were placed by customers for home delivery following restriction on movement, adding that this development was discouraging and a set-back for the market.
“Currently we are selling at a huge loss because the number of people who come to this market has dropped by 70 per cent. Not everyone can have access to the market at present. Some with such low patronage, we record huge perishable food stuff on a daily basis.
The farmer in the North will not say because of the pandemic let me store the agriculture produce. Where is he going to store tomato and pepper? They simply have to find their way to the market; hence we are having huge supply, but very low demand”
Jibril said the law enforcement agencies have been cooperating with them in the transportation of perishable goods.
As part of measures to contain the spread of Coronavirus at the market, he said the gates leading to the market had been locked, while only one was opened to traders.
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