by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Despite hews and cries, said and done across board, prices of goods and services are still on the steady increase, giving the already poorer populace an endless hopelessness.
In Kaduna, the situation has worsened with the intensified activities of the terrorists and banditry, killing and kidnapping innocent Nigerians, especially farmers and currently the school children.
Market survey in Kaduna uncovered that prices of all provisions and grains are still up and growing on daily and weekly basis, including bread, without any effort being made by any authority to effect positive change so as to ameliorate sufferings of the people.
While many primary, secondary and even tertiary institutions have been shutdown and relocated across the states, due to terrorists’ activities, most farmers have also abandoned their farms and farmlands – for fear of being killed or kidnapped by bandits, leading to higher cost of living, hunger and starvation amongst the poorer Nigerians.
Although, there are efforts being made by the current administration of Governor Uba Sani to resettle those displaced due to terrorists invasions in Southern Kaduna area, the current renewed wave and redoubled bandits attacks around the state may undoubtedly hinder the move.
A judicial work and conservative farmer, who freely narrated his story, decried the current spate of insecurity, saying after feeding his family, he normally makes sale of over N2 million on yearly basis from his farms, but he could no longer step his feet on the farm anymore, for fear of bandits.
The basic option and only solution left now is to facilitate and speed up the process of States Police implementation policy to avoid colossal damage being caused by the insurgents. And, indeed, the formation of local vigilante as launched in Sokoto and other States may suffice, pending the full implantation of state policing.
A lot of people believe that prices of goods and services have dropped in the market after the alleged release of ‘tones of grains’ from national food reservoir currently proclaimed by government, but many have denied of getting any palliatives in Kaduna State.