By Abdullahi Yusuf
Foodstuff dealers at the Kwanar Singer Market in Kano have resolved to supply flour to the state branch of the Master Bakers Association of Nigeria at controlled prices so as to bring down the prices of bread in the state.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of the Singer Market Development Association, Barrister Mohammed Zakaria Junaidu, shortly after the meeting of members of the association with the Chairman of the State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission,Muhuyi Magaji Rimin-Gado.
Following the intervention of the State Government through the anti-corruption commission, Junaidu said, members of the association decided to be selling flour to the bakers at N65,000 per bag,as against the prohibitive market price of N82,000 per bag.
He said the flour dealers had already released one truck load of the commodity to the Bakers Association at the controlled price, adding that another vehicle loaded with the commodity would soon be released to the bakers.
He blamed the high cost of flour in the state on the activities of middlemen whom he said, made the foodstuff virtually unaffordable to ordinarily citizens.
The Chairman said the dealers would continue to supply flour to the bakers and other users of the commodity so as to beat down the prices of bread and other foods made from flour.
Earlier,the Chairman of the anti-corruption Commission,Muhuyi Rimin-Gado,told newsmen that the meeting with the dealers was in adherence to the directive of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to find ways of combating the new inflationary trend is in the state.
Rimin-Gado said the artificial inflation manifested immediately after the relaxation of the curfew imposed on the state following the recent anti-bad governance protests in the state.
He said the Commission would follow to the latter the resolution reached between the Kwanar Singer market dealers and commission to ensure that prices of commodities were brought down to enable the people of the state access them.
“The Commission is determined to combat the artificial inflation in the state and to fish out the perpetrators of the trend,so as to make foodstuff and other commodities affordable to our people,”the Chairman said.