Ramadan: Some undisclosed NGOs cause hike of food items in Borno — BECCF

BY NDAHI MARAMA, MAIDUGURI

Borno Emirate Concern Citizens Forum (BECCF) has alleged that the increase in the price of food items, especially perishable ones at the popular Gamboru market in Maiduguri was caused by some undisclosed Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and their collaborators who buy in bulk and loaded them into trucks at an exorbitant price before taking them to unknown destinations.

The Forum said, this development has forced residents particularly Muslim Faithful to bear the brunt during the Holy Month of Ramadan, as traders patronize NGOs to the detriment of common masses.

This was revealed yesterday by the Chairman of BECCF, Zanna Hassan Boguma while addressing Newsmen at the NUJ press centre, Maiduguri.

He said, over the recent weeks, the Forum engaged the leadership of marketers and traders Union and pleaded with them on a recurrent incessant hike in prices of essential commodities during the month of Ramadan, unfortunately in one of their engagements and visitations at Gamboru vegetable and cereal Markets, they discovered that quite a number of trucks were loading perishable items such as okro, spinach, pepper, tomatoes and cereals like bags of beans, maize, Guinea corn, millet among others.

Boguma said, when the Forum made inquiries, they were informed by relevant Marketers/Traders that it was some NGOs (names withheld) that were buying such commodities at exorbitant prices to be conveyed to unknown destinations on daily basis.

Also read: Coronavirus: Edo govt condemns arbitrary hike in prices of food items, begins monitoring

His words: “Recently, our Forum engaged the leadership of marketers/traders Union and pleaded with them on a recurrent incessant hike in prices of essential commodities during the month of Ramadan, unfortunately in one of our engagements and visitations at Gamboru vegetable and cereal Markets, we were shocked when we discovered quite a number of trucks were loading perishable items such as okro, spinach, pepper, tomatoes and cereals like bags of beans, maize, Guinea corn, millet among others.

“Perturbed by what we saw, we started making inquiries, and we were informed by relevant Marketers/Traders that it was some NGOs (names withheld) that were buying such commodities at exorbitant prices to be conveyed to unknown destinations on daily basis at the detriment of a common man who finds it difficult to get patronage in the markets.

“We want to use this opportunity to call on government and security agencies to investigate where these NGOs are domiciled, where or whom they convey such commodities, this is necessary to clear some suspicions in the town levelled against some NGOs in the past.”  He said.

The Forum further admitted that there are bad eggs among the membership of the marketers who are hell-bent on increasing the prices of their commodities without any justification.

Vanguard News Nigeria

The post Ramadan: Some undisclosed NGOs cause hike of food items in Borno — BECCF appeared first on Vanguard News.