The Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe, has taken significant steps to reduce food prices and eliminate undue price control by abolishing various traders’ associations in markets within Ado Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State.
Raye24reporters learnt this move aims to allow farmers direct access to traders and prevent price inflation by middlemen.
Oba Adejugbe, in collaboration with the Ewi-in-Council, issued directives on Monday during a meeting with market women leaders, stipulating fixed prices for essential food items and warning that any trader who defies these regulations will face sanctions.
The Ewi-in-Council, concerned by reports of traders’ exploitative practices, announced that vegetables should now be sold at no more than ₦50, pepper at ₦100, garri at ₦700, and a kilogram of meat should be priced at ₦4,500.
Oba Adejugbe explained, “Reports have it that traders, under the aegis of the associations, hide under middlemen to inflate the prices of goods such as tomatoes, pepper, vegetable, palm oil, locust beans, meat, garri, among others by dictating prices to the farmers that brought them to the markets for sale.”
The monarch also emphasized that chiefs would be tasked with monitoring the markets to ensure that these new price regulations are strictly enforced and that violators are appropriately penalized.
