The Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe, has cancelled various traders’ associations in markets in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, intending to remove their undue control of prices and ensure farmers have direct access to traders.
Oba Adejugbe, who also ordered traders in the markets not to sell their foodstuff beyond stipulated prices, said the steps were necessary to regulate the high prices of foodstuff in the state capital.
The monarch, leading the Ewi-in-Council, gave the directive in Ado Ekiti on Monday during a meeting with the leadership and some members of the market women association, warned of sanctions for anybody who flouted the directives.
The Ewi-in-Council, which noted with dismay the reports from members of the public on the heartless attitudes of most of the traders leading to high food prices, said the directives were to correct the trend.
The Council, at the meeting, directed that henceforth “vegetables should not be sold more than N50; pepper, pepper N100; garri N700; while kilogramme of meat should be reduced to N4,500.”
Oba Adejugbe said, “Reports have it that traders, under the aegis of the associations, hide under middlemen to inflate the prices of goods such as tomatoes, pepper, vegetable, palm oil, locust beans, meat, garri, among others by dictating prices to the farmers that brought them to the markets for sale.
“We have taken these steps to make life bearable for residents of the town. I hereby direct the leadership of traders in the market to effect the directives. Chiefs will continue to monitor marketplaces to ensure strict implementation and sanction defaulters.