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By Ahmad Tijjani Abdul, Kano
The management of Dawanau International Grains Market during the weekend enjoined the federal government to rejuvenate rail transport in Nigeria to crash food prices.
Briefing Reporters in Kano on Saturday, the President of the Dawanau Market Development Association (DMDA), Alhaji Muttaka Isa said the cost of ferrying essential commodities to the market have skyrocketed against the backdrop what was obtained before now.
Muttaka Isa explained that “about six months ago, we transported a trailer load of food items from Gombe at N500, 000, but now, we are coughing out N1,500, 000 for the same purpose”.
The President of the Dawanau Market Development Association (DMDA), stated that “Nigeria government has to invest on rail sectors to ease transportation across other sectors”.
He however dispelled speculations that dealers transacting business in the market are hoarding foodstuff in order to create artificial scarcity.
Alhaji Isa further dismissed perceptions that the traders are increasing prices of food items arbitrarily to cause excruciating hardships to the populace.
Alhaji Muttaka Isa said the grains dealers only purchase the foodstuff from growers in various parts of the country, store them in the market’s warehouses before selling them to their customers.
He revealed that Dawanau International Grains Market is the biggest in West Africa supplying foodstuff to customer Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and the Central African Republic, among other countries.
The text of the press briefing read thus: “Following the recent rise in the prices of food products across the country, misinformation and disinformation have taken over the public domain concerning our operations and we are wrongly accused of hoarding food items.
“The Association hereby calls the attention of the general public to understand that we are dealers of items having an average daily turnover of N30 billion.
“Farmers from far and near bring their products here which we buy and sell as whole sale to industries and for exports. We buy and sell the items, and cannot possibly hoard them.
“The various grains and other food items you see in these warehouses are only on transit; they must be stored first before they are sold to our customers.
“Storing the goods in the warehouses is essential so as to prevent them from being spoilt and also for convenient purposes,” Isa explained.
“Governments and organisations purchase grains from us. For example, the Federal Government of Nigeria buys grains from us, organizations such as the World Food Programme (WFP) also buys grains from us and distributes to IDP camps in Nigeria and elsewhere.
“I wonder how these esteemed customers can buy from us if we are hoarding these grains. So, I am appealing to the general public, particularly our business partners, to disregard the wicked rumour as it is baseless and unfounded.
“The truth is that we are genuine businessmen passionate about the progress and well being of our customers as well the economic development of our dear nation, Nigeria,” the President said.