Determined to feel the pulse of Nigerians, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday, paid a surprise visit to Garki Model Market in Abuja.
The visit, according to Senior Media Aide, Laolu Akande, is part of activities marking the second anniversary of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The SUN reports that Osinbajo who arrived the market to a rousing welcome at about 3:10 pm, spent 40 minutes interacting with traders who complained about high cost of renting shops as well as high cost of buying their wares ranging from fish, onions and rice.
The Acting President interacted with a fish seller who sought government’s intervention to reduce the cost of the shop which is N250,000 per annum.
She sells both imported and locally produced smoked fish.
A rice seller, Alhaji Nasiru Maiyaki Kuryfi complained of inadequate store space, saying that the market management has not been able to complete the shops they paid for long ago.
Osinbajo promised to talk to the market management about the high cost of rent but he also encouraged the traders and all other Nigerians to go into farming.
“The more we farm the cost of products will come down,” he said.
Osinbajo was accompanied by the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar and other senior presidential aides.
Speaking to State House correspondents at the end of the visit, Osinbajo’s Media Aide, Laolu Akande, “He wanted to feel the pulse of Nigerians and hear directly from the people and have one-on-one with them and assure them that the administration was committed to improving the economy and ensure life gets better for them.”
The visit coincided with the beginning of the Ramadan fast and Osinbajo encouraged the traders to keep the prices as affordable as possible.
Osinbajo had earlier met with school children ahead of the Children’s Day celebration in his office and gave them gifts.
THE SUN
