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Residents of Osun State have lamented the economic conditions in the state as Nigeria marked its 63rd Independence Day on Sunday.
They told DAILY POST on Tuesday that the rate of inflation is beginning to bite hard.
They lamented the soaring food prices, transport fares, school fees, fuel, gas and other consumables.
This is coming despite interventions by the federal and state governments.
Tope Aloba, a civil servant, said his expenditure has increased since the suspension of fuel subsidy in May.
He lamented that as a middle-level civil servant, his salary at the end of the month has been impacted.
“The price of commodities in the market has risen tenfold.
“A bag of rice now sells for N50,000 in Osogbo. I used to buy half a bag but now I have reduced it to a quarter bag. Even at that, before the middle of the month, I am in another round of debt.
“Even with my wife contributing her quota, we are managing by God’s grace. Osun is relatively cheap compared to other states but it is gradually changing with the way things are becoming expensive these days.
“Nigeria has come to Osun State, and it is a pity we the masses are the ones feeling the brunt of it all.”
A retailer, Kudirat Abiola, told DAILY POST that she was almost losing goodwill because her customers thought she wilfully increased the prices of her commodities.
“It is just the understanding ones among them that know it is not my fault that things are this expensive. If you have N50 with you, you can not eat a relatively cheap biscuit. The rate now is between N55 to N60.
“People do not buy some brands of soft drinks again. They prefer cheaper brands because they are friendly. N200 is the limit that can afford for such refreshments.
“Bread is out of it for some families these days because a loaf of about N1600 is not enough for a family of three children. It is like you want them to go hungry for hours.
“I even heard some families now have to adopt feeding equations to make do,” she said.
A school proprietress, Florence Ajimosun, said she tried not to review her school fees not to dig too deep into parents’ pockets.
“I had to compel them to do other things in order to make do and to stay afloat.
“Some of the parents complained and some resented but their children needed to get an education and my own business too has to stay afloat.
“It is only government that can help us and they know how to go about doing that,” she said.
A commercial motorcyclist, Abubakar Salisu, said he has been managing because most of his clients do not blame him for the high cost of conveying them to their destinations.
“My strategy is to plead with the emotions of my customers. I make them understand that I am not the one responsible for the high fares but that I have to fuel and maintain my motorcycle.
“Most times, they understand. Most times, they grudgingly pay me for the service rendered.
“I came to Osun after I heard that living conditions is cheap compared to other South West states but the case seems to be different,” he said.
Funmilayo Famurewa stated that despite the palliatives and the funds from the Federal Government to the Osun State Government, the inflation is still biting hard, and most people in the state are finding it difficult to make ends meet.
“You need to go to the market to see things for yourself. People are suffering. Managing a home now takes God.
“In September, I filled a kilogrammes of cooking gas at N750. The one I am using presently I filed it for N900 per kilogramme. Now, I don’t know how much I will fill it again I need to.
“And you want me to be happy as a Nigerian. I can only be happy to be alive but I regret being a Nigerian.
“Our government has failed us as a country. Except something changes, I don’t see how in the future,” she said.
She also lamented the increase in tuition fees of some public universities in the country.
“With the increase in tuition fees of some public universities, I just pray it does not affect public Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.
“As in these institutions too should not announce outrageous fee increases. If it does, then this government has taken away everything from the people.
“We do not have constant electricity, the health system is down and out and now education. We are going back to feudalism,” she lamented.
