The Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe, has outlawed the various traders’ associations in Ado Ekiti markets with the intention to remove their unfair control of prices and ensure farmers have direct access to traders.
Oba Adejugbe, had also sanctioned the traders in the markets to not sell their foodstuff beyond the mandated prices, saying that the steps were requisite to regulating the high prices of foodstuff in the state capital.
The monarch who is the leader of the Ewi-in-Council had given the directive in Ado Ekiti on Monday during a meeting with the leadership and some members of the market women association, with a severe warning of sanctions for anybody who flouted the directives.
The Ewi-in-Council had stated that the directives were to correct the trend.
What Was Decided;
The Council had during 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 had also 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.” He finished.
