SALLAH : BLEAK FESTIVE IN SIGHT
With just few days to Eid-el-Kabir festival, ram sellers in Akure,the Ondo State Capital, are foreseeing a dull and low-key festivity over the low sales of rams and other materials as recorded so far.
At many ram selling points visited in the state capital, which include,Shasha Market, Ilesha garage by Society Premium, saw the presence of many rams, yet to be sold with just few days to sallah.
Alhaji Gabo Abdullahi, who sells his rams at Shasha market, said that the ram sellers had never had it so bad in the recent times. Abdullahi, who came from Kaduna with rams, said he sold only five out of the 50 rams he brought to Akure since two weeks ago.
In his words, "The economic situation has contributed greatly to the low patronage and is affecting even our pockets very much now .“There may still be hope, as the festival is few days from now, we pray to make some sales beforehand then. As, returning the animals will be a great loss to me because of the expenses involved,” he lamented.
Abdullahi informed that the price of the animals ranges from N25, 000 to N120, 000. Another ram dealer, Baballe Yaro, also blamed the current economic recession as the main factor responsible for the low sales recorded so far.
“The current economic recession has now become a threat not only to ram sellers, but also to the entire business activities in Nigeria. “The Federal Government should do something urgently to address the suffering of the people . Although, many people are willi to buy rams for the festival, they cannot afford to do so, due to the prevailing economic situation in the country.’’
Yaro noted that the price may eventually crash as many traders would prefer selling at low cost than going back with the animals.
According to him, some of the traders bought the rams from as far Niger Republic, Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina states. Adding that here is hope in the next few days before the celebration , if all civil servants and workers can be paid their salaries by the ondo state government before Sallah,” he said.
A survey generally in the market show considerably a very deep hardship toll effects on the citizenry, and a bleak sallah, apart from preparation for school resumption, parents, guardians as well as the general public are seriously complaining of the present economic hardships toll in the country, as many homes find it difficult to cater and feed well.
The situation is a common phenomenon, both from the public and private sectors, hinged on the fact of how the present administration in the country is handling the economic policies of the country.
It will recalled that the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, had last week declared Friday September 1st , 2017, as Eid-el-Kabir day. Abubakar, who is the Chairman, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, made the declaration, following the sighting of the new moon of Zulhijja, on Tuesday last week.
In a statement signed by the Chairman, Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs to the Sokoto Sultanate Council, Prof. Sambo Junaidu, the monarch said Muslims in Nigeria would observe Friday, September 1, as Sallah day.
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