Traders at the Abakpa Main Market in Abakaliki have lamented the low patronage of their goods due to the prevailing economic hardship.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that business activities were at a low ebb on Monday as the traders discussed the economic downturn in groups.
At the textile section of the market, dealers told NAN that due to the state of the economy, the number of people interested in sewing new clothes had decreased, hence the low patronage.
A dealer, Mr Louie Oketah, said that unlike 2015 when sales had become high in darly December, this year was different.
“No sales at all. Our customers are complaining of no money with many of them saying they are yet to receive their November salaries.
“You come to the market and from the morning till the time you close for the day, nobody comes pricing your goods let alone buying,’’ he said.
A parent, Mrs Carol Ejem, who came to buy food items, told NAN that she had already told her children not to expect any new clothes for the Christmas.
“I am a mother of four. The situation calls for caution, especially for those of us who are civil servants.
“The prices of all the commodities have gone up and there is no money, even the little you have cannot buy you anything,” she lamented.
Speaking in the same vein, Mr Uchenna Elom, a shoe seller, said that by this period in previous years, businesses had peaked, but that the reverse was the case.
“We are not seeing customers and again, the products are very costly in view of the exchange rate of the dollar to the naira.
“Traders are witnessing one of the worst business downturns in recent history and many have closed their shops,” Elom said.
On her part, Mrs Maria Nwangaji, a foodstuff dealer, urged the Federal Government to do the needful to end the current recession.
She regretted the starvation being experienced in most families due to their inability to cope with the high cost of food items.
“The business is not moving as expected in view of the season we are and the reason is quite obvious.
“The prices of all food items have gone up and the people’s purchasing power is very low due to the prevailing inflation.
“I am appealing to the government to urgently address the galloping inflation being witnessed now,” she said.
She explained that a cup of local rice which previously sold at N60 now costs N120, while a custard bucket measure of the commodity which previously sold at N450 now costs N1,300.
She attributed the increase in the price of local rice to the recent ban by the Ebonyi State Government on the sales of foreign rice in Abakaliki.
She, however, said that no food item was spared the price increase.(NAN)