Fish Sellers Protest Hike in Prices

James Sowole in Abeokuta

The fish sellers in Ogun State, yesterday, took their protest to the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, to decry the incessant increase in the prices of fish.

The fish sellers, who were armed with placards bearing various messages appealing for government intervention over the skyrocketing prices of fish, said that many of them were already in debt while some are now leaving the business because they could no longer operate given the current economic realities.

The fish sellers were, however, barred by the security agents from entering the Governor’s Office.

Fish sellers in Sagamu, had also last week staged a peaceful protest over the increasing economic hardship imposed on them by the exorbitant prices of fish, disclosing that many of them were already being forced out of the business due to reduced patronage while the inflationary trend had also swallowed their working capital. n

Speaking with journalists during the protest, the Chairman of Fish and Seafood Sellers Association of Ogun State, Chief  Onajobi Aremu said that the fish sellers are now finding life so unbearable because of the daily increase in the prices of fish while their only means of livelihood is under serious threat.

Onajobi said: “We are all here to let the government know that life is becoming so hard for us the fish sellers and those eating it too. This is due to the everyday increase in the prices of fish. For instance, a carton of Mackrel that we call Titus has jumped from N45000 to N85,000, invariably one Titus is now N2000. A carton of herring commonly called ‘Sawa’ which used to be N14000 is now N47000.

“The most painful part is that, let’s assume that you buy this fish say for N50,000 in the morning before afternoon it is N70,000 and the following day it will be N75,000. How can we survive in this kind of situation? Many of us are now in debt because people are also not patronising us again, they will always complain that the fish is too expensive. We sincerely call on our governor, Dapo Abiodun to help us out of this terrible situation. We are not happy at all because this is our only source of livelihood.”

The Leader of the Fish Sellers in Egba Division, MR. Adiat Omoowo, said that they decided to stage protest to the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta because they could no longer afford to stay calm while life is becoming so tortuous for them.

Omoowo said: “We are here to plead for the governor’s intervention over this unexpected turn of events in our business. We did not start this fish selling yesterday and things have never be like this. How can we now pay N85000 for what we used to buy for N4000? This is hard on us.

“Already many are leaving the business. We all decided to come out and let the government know about what we are going through, we beg them to help us before things turn the other way for us. To feed our families now is now a problem because people are no longer buying this fish; they always complain that they are too expensive.”

Addressing the protesters, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Ms. Adijat Adeleye, appealed to the traders to be more patient with the government, saying the hike in fish is not peculiar to Ogun State alone.

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

“The issue of fish is not just about Ogun State, it is something that cut across the nation, there has to be an holistic approach to the problem.”