Some foodstuff traders at the Abakpa main market in Enugu are lamenting low patronage owing to the stay-at-home order issued by the state government.
In response to the order, the market was closed except for foodstuff traders who have continued to operate just outside the entrance to the gates of the market.
Some of the foodstuff traders who spoke with NAN said that they had been experiencing the low patronage since Wednesday.
Mr Sunday Aja who sells garri outside the main market, said that the stay-at-home order had affected the business.
“We find it difficult to buy garri because of the increase in transportation fare which is now N1,000 compared to the N500 it was before.
“From Enugu to Nsukka is now N1000 and it is painful that after all this suffering, we still experience low patronage.
“Now that we have reduced the price to N800 and N700 respectively, the patronage still refuses to improve,” Aja said.
Mrs Vivian Ugwuanyi, a rice and beans trader said: ” We sold beans for N800 before now, but today the price has reduced to N700 and rice to N1200. Yet people are not coming to buy.
“If not for this ravaging pandemic that has forced people to stay at home, we would not have not witnessed low patronage,” she said.
Mrs Glory Okoronkwo, a dealer in beans, told NAN that the restriction on movement had also affected the prices of beans.
“Though, people want to buy beans, they are complaining of the price saying that there is no money in circulation.
“I sold a measure of beans N750 some days ago, prior to the stay-at-home-order and now I am selling at N700.
“People are not buying again compared to before, so I decided to reduce the price to N700,” she said.
