In response to the rising prices of goods and services in Benue State, the state government is exploring the possibility of creating a marketing board to oversee and regulate prices within the state.
Dr Raymond Asemakaha, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Benue Investment and Property Company, made this announcement during a one-day capacity building/training workshop on Economic reporting held on Friday.
The event, sponsored by BIPC, was organized by the correspondents’ chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Benue State Council.
After conducting a survey, Asemakaha expressed concern over the inflated prices of commodities in the state capital compared to neighboring states like Nasarawa and Abuja. He indicated that the proposal for a marketing board will be presented to the state assembly soon.
According to him, “Our market survey revealed that prices in Makurdi are significantly higher, even for basic necessities. During the construction of our factory, we had to source materials from Abuja due to the prevalence of corruption in the Makurdi markets.”
“We are considering proposing the establishment of a Marketing Board to regulate prices, as everything in Makurdi is excessively priced, including essential items.”
“People often travel to nearby Laafia (the capital of Nasarawa State) to make purchases. It is imperative that we take action to remedy this situation, as even staple foods like yam are unreasonably expensive in Makurdi. Just last week, we had to travel to Nasarawa to buy certain goods.”
Asemakaha also criticized local traders in the capital for exploiting consumers by charging exorbitant prices for their goods.
Furthermore, he expressed dismay over the unfair treatment of farmers in villages by traders from the northern and eastern regions of the country.
“Our study on agricultural produce revealed that traders from the North and East deliberately delay their market visits until late afternoon when vendors are exhausted and eager to sell. This unethical practice results in farmers receiving meager returns for their produce,” he stated.