By Precious Oham
Amid rising food prices in the country, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe has commenced the monitoring of prices of food commodities across markets in the state capital with the aim of ensuring that traders sell at reduced price.
The Omosio of Ado-Ekiti, Chief Opeyemi Abiola, led the delegation of Chiefs to prevent the arbitrary increase in the prices of food commodities at Okesha and Oja Bisi markets in Ado-Ekiti metropolis.
According to Chief Abiola, the move by the Kabiyesi is to checkmate the rising prices of the food commodities in the state which he said has caused untold hardship on the masses.
He warned traders and sellers of food items against being insensitive to the plight of residents by hiking the price of food items as a result of the economic downturn.
He said: “It is because of the prices of commodities in the market the our situation are compounded, many of them deliberately hike the price of their commodities arbitrarily. The Kabiyesi thinks this is the way to checkmate the price. He gave the chiefs the authority to go and checkmate the price in the market.
“Some people are saying that they are selling the food commodities as they bought from the farm but we know it is not like that.
“They can say whatever they want to say. All I know is that we want people to enjoy the good atmosphere of this state. We don’t want exorbitant prices especially food commodities.
“As from next market, if we found anybody selling at exorbitant prices, we are going to seize it and pack it to the palace.”
Meanwhile, a buyer at the Okesha market, Omolola Adejugbe commended the Oba for the laudable move saying that such move will go a long way in ensuring that prices of food commodities are reduced.
“What the Oba is doing is good. It will make life easier for the citizens. This measure should not only be limited to Ado-Ekiti, it should cut across all states. If it is done, Nigeria will be good and it will serve as lessons to them.
“To the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti who asked Chiefs to take this step, I pray for longevity. I thank him very much for thinking deep and he took a good step the way it’s supposed to be.”