Yuletide: Imo residents groan over cash scarcity, food inflation

Residents of Imo have decried the hike in food prices and cash scarcity during the Christmas celebration.

Joseph Onumajuru, a petty trader at Amakaohia modern market, told TheCable on Sunday that the constant increase in food prices is worrisome.

Onumajuru said this was the highest foodstuff had risen to in recent times, noting that 2022 Christmas was much better.

“We no longer make gains from our sales. We only need to keep it running because we know that one day, the storm will be over,” Onumajuru said.

“As you can see, market is not selling like before, and of course you will not blame the poor woman in the village to buy a small fish for N1,500. How much did she come to the market with?

“If I tell you that this small bag of Okra here is sold at the rate of N1,8000, you may doubt me.

“So how do I now make my gain from it? At times, I finish one bag without making any gain. We are the ones losing, but if you try to explain to buyers, they will think you are cheating them. It is not easy for everybody.”

At Orji daily market, a buyer who pleaded anonymity said it was the worst Christmas she has experienced, adding that she came to the market with N50,000 but could only buy a few things.

She said Imo is the worst hit because she was in Enugu and Anambra a couple of weeks ago, and also made some purchases in the markets in those states, at normal rates.

She accused traders in Imo of being greedy and intentionally inflating the prices of foodstuff for profit.

“Onions you buy from a Hausa man is three times bigger and cheaper than the one you buy from our people. Our people are so greedy that they want to make outrageous gains in every item. This is not right,” she said.

“There should be a kind of monitoring team or taskforce that should be penalising those selling above normal prices of goods in the market.

“Those caught should be dealt with decisively. It will go a long way in sanitising our market services.”

Onyinyechi Osuoha, a Point of Sale (PoS) operator at Amakohia flyover, said banks are no longer dispensing cash above N10,000.

Osuoha said she goes to over six different banks a day to retrieve money, and some pay only N5,000.

She added that after calculating the stress of getting cash, she is left with no other option but to include it in the charges.

“They said there is no cash. The highest they give is N10,000. I don’t know what the problem with banks is actually,” Osuoha said.

“I collect N500 for N10,000. I know others may collect higher. For N20,000, I can take N1,000, but some people charge N1,300. The problem is the cash, not even the charges, because it’s difficult to get enough cash to give out.

“I leave early morning every day and come back in the evening just to look for cash. The stress is also added on the charges because it’s not easy.

“In fact, there is no profit in PoS business anymore. We are even suffering more because of the stress. May God help us.”