By Akinwale Kasali
Every resumption of a new academic section, especially the second term that berths in a new year, both Primary and Secondary Schools pupils and Students glow in their new shoes, uniforms, bags, socks, water bottles, lunch bags, watches, caps, berets and ties.
Sadly, it is a different scenario this year as most parents could not replicate the annual rituals of providing new things for their children and wards due to the present economic hardship, that has made Nigerians financially incapacitated
Rather, parents made sure their children and wards adorned their previous outfits and school materials.
Visits to some schools around Lagos on Monday, when Schools in the State resumed for another academic session, show it wasn’t business as usual, as most Pupils and Students made do with their previous school materials.
Katangowa market, located in Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area of the State, is unarguably the cheapest market in the State where you can purchase clothes, bags and all other school materials.
But traders are moaning about the low patronage they have been experiencing since the end of the Yuletide season.
Some complained that unlike previous years when people complained of being financially crippled, yet, get to spend substantially, this year has been futile.
Kelechi Mbeonu, who sells school bags of different sizes said that for the past three days he had managed, go home with N7,500, daily, lamenting that there has been low patronage, as parents have refused to purchase bags for the new academic session.
“It hasn’t been this bad in a long time. Children resume for school in a new year and the market is scanty of buyers. This shows that this administration is a failure. Even during the time of the military, it was not this bad”, he stated.
Agreeing with Mbaonu, Regina Ibeh, who sells sweater an stockings said that she is still in shock that there has been low patronage despite the harsh weather condition.
“We are experiencing harmattan, and normally, this period is when I sell the most, because parents will want to protect their children from the harsh weather condition. Sadly, there hasn’t been any sales. I almost didn’t want to go to the market today because for weeks now, there hasn’t been sales. I don’t understand what is happening in this country again”.
Chinonye Ihezuo, who sells water bottles lamented that in her 11th year of selling in the market, it hasn’t been this bad.
She said people who even wanted to buy, will price the wares in a ridiculous way, and one can’t blame them, because you can’t give what you don’t have.
“Some families don’t even have what to eat, and you are telling them to purchase new things for their children to take to school. Won’t they rather manage what they have, than to spend money on frivolities”, she concluded.
Just like the market men and women in Katangowa market, sellers of perishable goods in Ile-Epo market joined in the wailing bandwagon.
Some of them said since the end of the Yuletide season, there hasn’t been high patronage, as many market men and women hardly make sales due to low turnout of prospective customers.
In a chat with Alhaji Mohammed Yaro, the leader of Yam, Onions and Pepper sellers in the market, he lamented that due to the high cost of bringing these products from the north down to Lagos, which has made the prices of the commodities skyrocket, there has been low patronage.
The Rice and Beans sellers are not left out of the bad situation. Some of them who spoke to the magazine said that the closing of the border has affected the patronage by customers because the prices of commodities have skyrocketed to an all time high.
Feyisara Amoo, a rice seller said that both foreign and local rice are within the same price range.
“A derica of local rice costs between N480 to N520. A bag of local rice goes for between N26,000 to N27,000. For foreign rice, you must have between N30,000 to N32,000. The worst part of it is: how can you ascertain that you are buying local or foreign rice sealed in a bag, because people now package local rice inside foreign bag deceiving people.
“Due to this, and the unavailability of finance, there is low patronage. I know people are patiently waiting for President Buhari to open the border, so that prices of commodities will come down”.
