The chairman mile 12 international market Lagos, Alhaji Shehu Usman Jibril has decried the continued lose suffered by sellers at the market as their perishable goods waste away due to low patronage during the lockdown.
This is just as Alhaji Jibril , also condemned the series of attacks on approved vehicles conveying goods to customers ordered online to their various destinations in the state.
According to the mile 12 market boss who spoke with journalists monitoring markets in compliance with the Covid 19 lockdown in the state, vehicles conveying food items such as yam, plantain and other items were attacked by hoodlums at Surulere and Ogudu areas and all the items in the vehicles carted away.
“Another flash spot is the lekki axis, our trucks on that route was blocked and the assailants made away with more than a 100 tubers of yams, two bags of rice in one swoop alongside other items. These incident has no doubt slowed down our reach in the supply chain and to those we made supplies”.
He said orders for the goods were placed by customers for home delivery as a result of restoration on movement in the state saying that this development was discouraging and a set back for the market.
“Presently we are selling at a huge lost because the number of people who come to this market has dropped by 70%, not everyone can have access to the market in this present time. Some with such low patronage, we have huge perishable food stuff on a daily basis. The farmer in the north will not say because of the pandemic let me store the agriculture produce, where is he going to store them tomatoes and pepper. They simply have to find their way to the market, hence we are having huge supply but very low demand”.
According to Alhaji Jibril the law enforcement agencies have been cooperating with them in the transportation of perishable goods.
As part of measures to contain the scourge of Coronavirus in the market, Alhaji said all the gates leading to the market have been locked while only one was opened to traders.
He said meetings were held between the leaders of the 20 sections of the market to ensure that they comply with the directives of the government on coronavirus
Jibril expressed joy that the market had enough security but lamented the poor state of roads in the market but said the case hadbbeen reported to the government hoping that action would be taken by the government after the lockdown.
“The presence of vigilantes in various neighbourhoods has also given us the confidences that our goods will be safe and we are free to move around delivering those essential commodities.We have sent the challenges we are facing with the area boys to the ministry of agriculture including the pictures taken from the scene for prompt action”.
He advised everyone in the market to remain calm, stay safe by observing social distancing.
