Osinbajo in Surprise Visit to Garki Market

By Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

As part of activities to mark the two years anniversary of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday visited Garki Model Market, Abuja to feel the pulse of Nigerians.

Osinbajo who arrived the market at about 3:10 p.m., was accompanied by the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar and some senior presidential aides. 

In an unusual manner, the acting president spent time discussing with the traders in the market who maximised the opportunity to pour out their complaints, especially about high cost of market stalls and prices of food items such as fish, onions and rice in the primary market.

Specifically, Osinbajo, whose unexpected arrival stunned the traders, called for government’s attention on high cost of market stalls which they put at N250,000 per annum.

Some, who complained of inadequate markets stalls, also reported the inability of management of the market to complete and make available the stalls they had paid for over a long time.

Osinbajo promised to engage the management and also encouraged both the traders and Nigerians in general to go into farming.

“The more we farm, the more the costs of products will come down,” he said.

Speaking to journalists later on the essence of the visit, Osinbajo’s media aide, Laolu Akande, said in commemoration of the second year anniversary of the administration, the acting president wanted to know the feelings of the people.

“He wanted to feel the pulse of Nigerians and hear directly from the people, have one on one with them and assure them that the administration was committed to improve the economy and ensure life gets better for them,” he said.

The visit was also designed to appeal to traders to make prices of commodities affordable to buyers as Moslems begin Ramadan fast.

Earlier in his office at the Presidential Villa, Osinbajo met with school children and gave them gifts in commemoration of this year’s Children’s Day celebration.