Emir of Lafia Alhaji Sidi Bage Muhammad (rtd) has urged the government and traders’ unions to act timely to end the rising cost of food items and other essential commodities so as to ameliorate the economic hardships being faced by Nigerians.
The monarch made the appeal when he hosted the leadership of the Nasarawa State Traders and Marketers Association at his palace in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, on Tuesday.
The appeal comes few days after the resurgence of protests by Nigerians and threats to down tools by labour unions if the situation is left unattended to.
He said apart from the federal government’s food palliatives to states to ameliorate the plights of the poor masses, there had to be deliberate, sustainable measures to stabilise the nation’s economy in a manner that would afford the poor opportunities to put food on their tables daily.
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He maintained that there is an urgent need for swift and decisive action to mitigate the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and restore hope of the country’s citizens.
He explained that reversing the fuel subsidy removal policy of the Tinubu-led administration is not an effective solution but said a sincere economic policy was needed to halt the current crisis; urging traders across the country to help the government’s plan to contain the challenges of the present time.
Earlier, the President, Nasarawa State Traders and Marketers Association, Musa Turaki-Gamji, called for careful study of monetary policy of the nation, noting that dollarisation, rising inflation, customs duty and price control are some areas for authorities to pay attention to if the difficult situation must be addressed.
He said the union is touring the zones of the state to sensitise traders on supporting government’s plans to assuage the plight of the people, adding that the state is not immune from the crisis.
Turaki-Gamji, therefore, sought the support of the traditional institution and market forces towards making the situation better in the state.
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