Some residents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have begun to consume food that serve as alternatives to protein as prices of meat, fish continue to increase.
The residents, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja, said they could no longer afford the luxury of eating meat, fish or chicken frequently.
The residents, while acknowledging the importance of proteins to the body, said that the hardship in the country would not allow them afford meat, chicken and fish.
Some of them said that with the situation, they have resolved to cook with only crayfish and ‘Kpomo’ (cow skin).
Mrs Grace Williams, a civil servant and mother of three said she no longer buy meat as before since the price moved to N5,500 per kilo as against the initial N4,000.
“I don’t buy meat as I used to before, I use crayfish and spices to make my food taste nice. I cannot afford to buy a kilo of meat for N5,500.
“We use egg also most times to subsidise. At least with N500 you will get three to four eggs that will serve the family, I hardly buy meat because meat sellers will not sell N1,000 meat.
“I don’t know where this country is heading to, as a civil servant, you struggle to make ends meet every month, the salary can barely take you to the end of the month,’’ she said.
Williams called on the government to proffer solutions to the hardship in the country to ease the sufferings of Nigerians.
Also, Mrs Ifeoma Oputa, a businesswoman and a resident in Karu, said the increase in the price of meat had deprived most families from eating adequate protein.
According to her, I eat meat only on Sundays, other days I use Kpomo, mushrooms or snail, though snails are quite expensive, I used them occasionally.
“Mushrooms are very good source of protein and very affordable.
“I buy a plate of mushroom for N500 and this will be enough for me to cook for my family, “she said.
On her part, Mrs Rita Adejor, a trader said she no longer use meat in her house, as only the rich in the society could afford it.
“I no longer use meat to cook in my house because of the increase in price most times I use ‘Panla’ fish to cook.
“When I do not have money for ‘Panla’ fish, I use crayfish to cook and it is very tasty, although none of these items are affordable.
“It is so disheartening that in a rich country with so many natural resources like ours, its citizens can barely afford a good meal,” Adejor said.
Mrs Bukola Oyebanji, a fish seller at Gwagwalada market, said business was not what it was in the past as they now experience low patronage.
Oyebanji said in the past she could sell two or more cartoons of fish a day, adding that she could barely sale one cartoon as people no longer patronise fish.
She said a cartoon of Titus fish (square cartoon) which in the past was sold for between N68, 000 to N70, 000 as at February now sold for N98, 000 to N100, 000.
“Panla’ fish that was sold initially for N25, 000 now goes for between N40, 000 and N50, 000 depending on the size.
“This recurring increase have made things so difficulty that most times you have to sell below cost price just to have money to feed the family,” she said.
Oyebanji pleaded with the government to come to the rescue of small business owners so that they would not be out of business, adding that it was their only means of livelihood.
Mr Aminu Mohammed, a meat seller said with the situation of things he was contemplating on quitting the business, as he no longer enjoyed it for lack of patronage.
Mohammed said that the price of meat had been increased twice this year, adding that they were planning to increase it again.
“Since this year we have increased the price of meat twice, now a kilo of meat is sold for N5,500 as against N4,000.
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“People no longer patronise us, now we hardly sell N1,000 meat and some people will come with N500 begging you to sell for them and when you refuse they go in search of other alternative.
“Most times we have to sell leftover meat because of low patronage.
“We really need help from the government to reduce the price of fuel and diesel as these are some of the reasons for the recurring increase in the market,” he said (NAN)
