Ramadan: Traders decry low sales

By Motolani AbdulGafar

Traders in Ejigbo Market have continued to lament low patronage since the commencement of Ramadan, the Muslim Holy month of fasting.

It was gathered that high prices of commodities and low purchasing power of many consumers has led to low patronage in the markets.

Lamenting on the situation, the Iyaloja-General of Oba Morufu Ojoola International Market, Mrs. Tawakalitu Jimba, who spoke to ECHONEWS on behalf of other traders, complained that business is not thriving as much as it used to in previous years before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

She noted that though prices of some commodities especially consumables normally soared during Ramadan fasting period, people still purchased goods.

She said since the commencement of this year’s Ramadan, the sales have been relatively low.

She said the cause, apart from the high prices of goods, could be linked to the outbreak of Covid-19 which affected both public and individual incomes.

The Iyaloja-General said many traders are becoming idle due to the low sales recorded in the market.

In her words: “We seek for God’s aid on our market because we are all striving to make ends meet since our sale is not booming as expected. If you visit the abattoir in this market, you will meet elderly butchers sleeping in their stalls because they have just little to sell yet, consumers are not patronising them. We are in a situation in which more than three butchers have to share a ram for sale because of its high price whereas it was something just only one person usually bought before.”

She, therefore, urged all marketers and consumers to use this holy month as a means of seeking for forgiveness from God and economic turnaround.

Jimba used the medium to appreciate the Ojon of Ejigbo Land, Oba Morufu Adekunle Adisa, who coronated her as the Iyaloja, for his effort on the development of the market.