Residents of Osun State have reacted to the increasing cost of foodstuff and other commodities as the Christmas and New Year festivities draw closer.
Many residents, who registered their disaffection with this medium, blamed the government for being insensitive to the plight of Nigerians as life has been made practically impossible for living.
Baring her mind to the newsmen, Mrs Elizabeth Olufunso, who narrated that she went to the popular Orisunmibare Market, Osogbo, to buy wares, stated that she was disappointed by the turn of events at the end of the day.
She said that her husband could not believe her story when she explained that the money she took to the market could only buy a few things.
On her part, Mrs Ekundayo Fajuyigbe told our reporter that her budget in the past two months has only been able to purchase half of what she used to in the past.
While explaining that it would take a miracle to scale the economic burden unleashed on the country, she lamented that it is driving many Nigerians to insanity and suicidal tendencies.
A trader in the same market, Mrs Risikat Adeosun said that the economic policies by the government have put a burden and constraint on businesses.
She stated that most of the items on sale were often sold at a loss.
According to her, most times, they have to add extra money to make purchases or take loans to meet up.
An Osogbo-based economist, Fatai Atanda, who commented on the state of the nation’s economy noted that it was just another failure on the part of the government to cater for the welfare of its citizens.
According to him, “Government policies over the years have not been favourable to the masses but only to the generality of rich Nigerians.
“The masses have been left to provide for themselves while the government looks away.”
Praising the can-do spirit of Nigerians, the economist maintained that he is optimistic that Nigerians would trudge on even though there is no sign that the economic impasse would be resolved.
While advising Nigerians not to always see festivities as a period to be wasteful, Atanda called for prudence noting that tough times demand tougher solutions.
“When the government has failed continually to meet some certain needs of the people. When the government continually gives her children for the predator to devour, such children should devise means of staying alive,” he said.
“The onus is on us to weather it out. We shouldn’t pick this period to be wasteful but rather to be conservative. This is the lesson we should draw from these hard lessons.
“We should not forget that this is 2022 and there is still 2023 to contend with. We need to survive. Human beings are all about survival. We must do all to ensure we survive. So, therefore, I call for prudence. Let’s not lay all blame at the feet of government. If things are very expensive, we should learn to adjust to them. I don’t see a fast solution to this economic impasse. In short, I don’t see any.”
