Traders storm Ogun gov’s office over fish price hike

Fish sellers in Ogun State have stormed the governor’s office in Abeokuta to protest the 100 per cent hike in the price of fish.

City & Crime reports that the protest came barely a week after fish sellers in the Sagamu area of the state stormed the palace of the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, to register their displeasure over the increasing price of fish.

The Abeokuta protesters, under the aegis of the Fish and Seafood Sellers Association of Nigeria (FSSAN), were armed with placards.

Speaking to journalists, the states Chairman of the association, Owolabi Onajobi, lamented that the ceaseless hike in the price of fish had forced many of his members out of business.

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He said the skyrocketing price of fish had adversely affected their business as customers blamed them for the arbitrary increase.

He said, “Many of us are shutting down our businesses because we cannot continue to run at a loss. For instance, a carton of Titus we were buying for N45,000 before is now N87,000. We cannot continue like that. That is why we have come to the governor to tell him our plight.

“The government should please look into this and save our business from imminent collapse. We are operating under huge debts. The hardship is too much.

Addressing the protesters, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Adijat Adeleye, appealed to them to be more patient with the government, saying the hike in fish prices was not peculiar to the state.

Adeleye said, “To my understanding, I think this is not just happening in Ogun State. Fish sellers in other states are also complaining about the increase in price.”