By Chris Njoku
Mr Imoh Etuk, a cement dealer in Calabar has disclosed that the price of the product was scaring his buyers away.
Etuk disclosed this in an interview with the CONVERSEER on Wednesday in Calabar.
The trader who decried the low patronage and economic hardship in the nation said a bag of cement was now sold for N10,000 in the state.
He said few months ago when the price of cement rose to between N3,500 and N5,000, they complained bitterly but today seeing the outrageous increase in the price of the product the people are tired.
“Today, only the extra rich will have the confidence to go into a building project because of the high cost of building materials; buyers now come to my shop and when I tell them the price of cement, they hiss and walk away
“When an average Nigerian is still struggling to feed, how will he start thinking of building which has automatically become a luxury in Nigeria?” He asked.
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Similarly, another dealer in building materials Mr Leo Uduak said as at the time of this report, he was selling a bag of cement for between N9,500 and N10,000 but would go round town to enquire about the current price adding that the price may increase after his enquiry.
He said the price increase was not from him because he was only selling as he bought from the cement factories and the cost of transportation to his store had tripled.
On the price of angle irons for building, Uduak said a full length of 16 millimeter rods has risen to N15,000, 12 millimeter was sold for N10,000; while 10 millimeter rods were sold for between N8,000 and N8,500.
“Early last year these rods were sold for N5,000 and less but today, we can all see the price.
“Nobody should come and tell me that the leaders are putting up policies that will reduce hardship in the nation when we are not seeing a commensurate impact in the prices of goods in the market, Nigerians are really really suffering,” he said.