Barely few hours to Eid al- Adha celebration, Ram sellers and transporters have continued to expressed dissatisfaction over the low turnout of buyers and passengers this year.
Observations reveal that, animal markets are scanty due to lack of customers to purchase cows, camels and rams usually used for sacrifice during the celebration in Kano state north Western Nigeria.
The Chairman, Gandun Albasa animal market association , Alhaji Yusuf Ahmed explained that the market was flooded with various sizes of Rams with the prices ranging from thirty thousand and above but with very few buyers.
He said the market, with few hours to the celebration should have been a behive of activities but reverse is the case, that most of the people who come will price and go and never returned.
According to him, there is an uptick in the price of Ram and those sold for twenty five thousand naira last year are now being sold for between thirty to thirty five thousand.
He said the increase in the price of animals this year was because of high cost of animal feeds and transportation.
“The low turn out of buyers is discouraging compared to last year, where most sellers succeeded in selling, almost all the sacrificial animals before sallah day. At makeshift Ram market in Hotoro along Kano Maiduguri road, a buyer, Alhasan Umar complained that the prices are high and the purchasing power is low due to economic situation in the country.
“The downturn in the country’s economy is the major factor to the low patronage, moreso salaries have not being paid in most places, so familes are handicapped,” he said
Similarly, inbound and outbound transportation activities in the ancient commercial city has recorded low patronages.
At the state owned transport company, Kano line, located in Naibawa area of the city, few passengers compared to previous years were seen traveling from the Kano metropolis to other states and local government areas for the celebration.
One of the operators, Adamu Abdulahi said previously, few days to the celebration, 10 to 15 vehicles would have been loaded early hours of the day but departures to most places are only between 7 and 8 vehicles.
He said vehicles arriving Kano metropolis from other states are equally few in numbers compared to previous years.
He attributed the low patronage to high cost of transportation ocassioned by the increase in pump price of fuel across the country because of the removal of subsidy.
“From Abuja to Kano and back is between N10 to 11 thousand naira now as against 4 to 5 to thousand naira last year. So you can see how expensive transportation is now.. “The price increase is the same everywhere , even from the town to villages. Not many people can afford it. So many chose to remain where they are to cut cost,” he said.
Similar observations were made at Naibawa, Mariri and ungwar uku motor parks in Kano.