Members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) have lamented lack of adequate funds to celebrate the 2023 Eid-el-Kabir.
According to the South East Zonal Chairman of MACBAN, Allahaji Gidado Sidikki, who spoke to our correspondent at the Garke Market Amasea in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, on Thursday, said the situation is as a result of the new naira note policy, high cost of transportation fare and multiple taxations.
He said because of the high cost of fuel, goods including cows, goats and rams coming from the Northern part are being sold at the higher rate, causing low customer patronage for members in the zone to survive.
“If you load a trailer of ram from Adamawa State to the Eastern part here, you will spend not less than #500,000 to #2,000,000 naira for transportation fare and multiple levies on the highways. The situation has affected sales leading to lack of funds for the celebration.
“We are currently hoping on Allah to shower his blessings upon us before the day of celebration,” Sidikki prayed.
The Chairman of Amasea Cattle Market, Allahaji Bello Magari, who also spoke to Nigerian Tribune, partially attributed the low patronage to the rainy season.
He noted that the current price for ram ranges from N50,000 to N180,000 naira depended on the size of the ram.
“To be honest with you, we are not making a satisfactory profit in this market.
“I believe that despite the low patronage, as muslims we must observe the day being one of the pillars of Islam.”
Alhaji Magari lamented that Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo since he came on board, has never celebrated any Muslim festival with them either in cash or kind as been done by his predecessor, Chief Willie Obiano.
Other traders who spoke, lamented a drastic change in their profit margins as inflation hits the prices of goods and services, particularly cattle and rams, ahead of the Sallah festival.
They attributed the hike in prices of rams to the sudden increase in the costs of transporting the livestock down from the northern part of the country to the South.
One of the cattle traders at Kwata Market Awka, who identified himself as Emeka Emmanuel, said, “Everybody knows the cause of the rise in prices. The issue of fuel, that is, diesel, caused everything. The cost of transporting these rams from very far places in the North as a result of fuel subsidy removal”.
A buyer, Mrs Yetunde Idris, said the situation will not stop her from celebrating the day with her family.
Nigerian Tribune reports the celebration is slated for June 28th, 2023.
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