Panic buying as FCT lockdown commences today

.Prices of goods, transportation skyrocket as residents lament

.Prices soar in Asaba, panic buying in Ekiti

Residents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Monday, rushed to stockpile supplies, after President Muhammad Buhari ordered the “cessation of all movements” for two weeks in Lagos and Abuja to stop the spread of coronavirus.

The Daily Times correspondent who monitored the development reports that many residents thronged the Wuse, Utako and Garki markets to make their purchases.

This is just as the prices of goods and commodity has skyrocketed as commercial drivers have also increased the transport fares as Begger to Maitama, which before now was N100, is now between N200 and N300.

Some of the residents told our correspondent that they were out to shop for some commodities, which included toiletries, foodstuff amongst others.

Mrs. Clementina Balogun said: “I am here to buy foodstuffs and toiletries for my family because of the lockdown which will commenced by 11pm today (Monday).

“This is to enable me comply with the order from the federal government restricting movement. I came to buy some more necessities for my home, because this may last longer than the 14 days”, she said.        

In some of the big stores in Abuja, most of the shelves were almost empty. The payment queue was also unusually long with lots of people waiting to make payments.

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One of the buyers simply identified as Ameh said: “Everyone is engaging in panic buying. Therefore, I decided to join to forestall anything regret.

“There are more cases of COVID-19 coming up, and at this time, it’s advisable to stay at home with your family. Therefore, everything I am buying today should last for at least three weeks. We hope by then, all of this will be over,” he said.

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At NEXT cash and carry shop in Abuja, the traffic in the popular shop more than doubled the usual as customers experienced difficulties getting parking spaces for their cars on Monday.

Most imported products like honey, dates and other essentials were said to be out of stock because of the heavy demand.

Ms Abidemi Bimbo said: “I have been on the queue just to pay for the few things I bought for over 30 minutes now.

“The most patronised commodities are non-edible things like soap, detergent, bleach, toilet cleaners and sanitisers.

“We hope to come back to our normal lives very soon, this Coronavirus is really affecting everyone and we pray God delivers us”.

In the meantime, while traders that sell provisions, seasoning and other related items maintained their prices, other traders, including tomatoes and pepper sellers inflated prices.

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The price of rice, beans, semovita, and others relatively remained the same but traders selling garri, yams, fish, meat, tomatoes and other perishable items inflated the prices of such goods.

Commercial buses were not left out as conductors hiked prices.

Also, banks in and around the capital city were also not left out in the rush as few of the banks visited were greeted with mega queues.

For instance, the ATM spots as well as private pay points were greeted with a very large queue. One of the customers lamented that she came to join the queue from another ATM point that ran out of service.

According to Ms. Angela Okoro, she said she was on the queue at Stanbic Bank ATM for several hours only for it to stop paying after it got to her turn.

‘’I am so frustrated but what can I do? I need the money because of the stay at home order’’, she said.

The story was not different from the other banks visited as people were seen in their large number trying to get money from various banks.

Outrageous increase of foodstuff prices across Delta State in the wake of sit-at-home order by the state Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, on Monday, triggered anger among residents, especially in Asaba and its environs who have threatened to defy the order to stay alive.

Investigation revealed abitrary increase in foodstuff prices by traders but reasons have not been adduced. Rather, the traders attributed the situation to difficulties in transportation, especially products such as garri, yams, and plantain among others from the rural areas to the urban areas.

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For instance, in Boji Boji Owa, Asaba, Ughelli, Warri, Okpanam, Ibusa, Sapele and Ogwashi Uku communities, prices of food items such as garri and yam at present sell for N13,000 a basin including six tubers of yams selling for N10,000 non negotiable at the Popular Ogboeogonogo market in Asaba and its environs.

A trader, who spoke to journalists in Asaba, Clara Okoh, attributed the increase in food items to the panic buying, especially with the sit-at-home order likely to be long, adding that they were already running out of major items as governments failed to provide alternative means to living particularly for those who eke out their living almost on every day business and are not salary earners.

They said that though traders selling food items were exempted from the sit-at-home order, but the assurance they noted had not been fully assimilated by the people, adding that the situation will portend hunger among the unemployed and called on the state and federal governments to make provision for everything, especially the jobless and the unemployed.

Further investigation revealed that though there were mad rush of some classes of people buying food items at Ogbeogonogo market, but the situation in the increase has continued to greet the residents with tears and inexplicable pains.

Considering the poor economic development across the country via the Coronavirus ravaging everywhere, some of them who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity described the increase in food items as barbaric and inhuman torture, saying: “We will defy the sit-out-home order because we are hungry, we don’t have money at all, and we work in the field to eke out our living. We are hungry and we want the Coronavirus to attack us then, we are tied of the situation. We will dare the Police who will stop us from doing our business”.

Also, prices of commodities have skyrocketed in Ekiti State following the declaration of 14 days total lockdown in the state to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

The order, which will take effect from today (Tuesday) and lasts till April 14, has also forced residents to engage in panic buying, which had assisted the sellers to hike their prices.

Fayemi had on Sunday announced the directive, which will force the residents to observe self isolation for 14 days with total restriction, except those on essential duties.

Since Sunday, prices of products like pepper, tomato, fish, rice, meat and other essential commodities hace soared, as residents rushed to buy the commodities and stocked at home.

A bag of rice that was sold for between 17,000 and 17,500 had risen to between N19,500 and N20,000 while a fish that goes for N400 per one is now sold for N600. Other products’ prices have also gone up astronomically.

The costs of soup ingredients experienced the worst case scenario, as all their prices have gone up while the transport fare was also not left out.