Barely a week to the Eid-el-Kabir festival, Ram sellers across the markets in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital city, have expressed regrets about the low patronage by potential buyers who complained about high price tags placed on the animals. Many notable ram selling points which include Bodija, Aleshinloye, Sango, Oranyan, Amuloko, markets in the ancient city were deserted when the Street Journal visited them.
Most of the sellers told our correspondent that they had never had it so bad, stressing that the difficult economic situation in the country occasioned by the economic recession ravaging the nation had worsened the market prospects for ram sellers. Kasie Balogun, a ram seller at Bodija market, who claimed that he brought his rams from Katsina, said he sold only five out of the 50 rams over a week ago. “The economic situation has contributed to the low patronage and it’s affecting even our pockets.
“There is still hope, as the festival is one week from now, we pray to make some sales before then. “Returning the animals to Katsina will be a great loss to me because of the expenses involved, “ he said.
At the various ram markets visited, prices of the animals ranged between N75, 000 to N250, 000.
Another ram dealer, Baballe Yaro, also blamed current economic recession as the main factor responsible for the low sales recorded so far.
“The present economic meltdown has now become a threat not only to ram sellers but also to entire business activities in Nigeria.
“The Federal Government should do something urgently to address the suffering of the masses.
“Although people want to buy rams for the festival, they cannot afford to due to the prevailing economic situation in the country.”
Yaro believed that the price may eventually crash as many traders would not want to return back with the animals.
According to him, some of the traders bought the rams from Niger Republic, Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina States.
“But there is hope since we have one week before the celebration if all civil servants will have their salaries before Sallah.” Yaro said.
Although, disturbed by the heavy downpour in the metropolis, a few buyers who spoke with our correspondent at both Aleshinloye and Bodija markets said they had to come to the market early to avoid the last minute rush which usually precipitate increased prices for the commodity when the festival is a day or two away. Ibrahim Olayinka said he had wanted to buy two rams=one for himself and one for his father. He however, said from the looks of things in the market, he could only afford one which he said would be given to his father for the festival.”We will all go to my father’s house to celebrate the festival with him while I’ll wait for next year to buy for myself.
He said he bought a big ram for N180,000, stressing that government should look into the economic difficulties bedeviling the populace.
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