Ooni bans food cartels, forces down food prices in Ife markets

By Samuel Ogunsona

The Ooni of Ile-Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (the Ọjájá II) has banned cartels that operate at the markets in Ile-Ife, the Yoruba ancestral home.

After an extensive meeting with his chiefs, Ooni, through his Ministers placed a ban on marker cartels notorious for increasing prices of essential foodstuff.

The market cartels are associations of wholesalers who specialise in trading in specific food items which prohibits others from selling such goods.

It has been responsible for market monopoly across Nigeria with the consequent escalation of prices of food.

Ooni’s executives who took the message to the market men and women in a viral video monitored by Irohinodua dismissed all market associations as instructed by the influential Oba.

Following the orders from the Oba after a consultative meeting with the executives and other market stakeholders, the prices of food items were said to have witnessed a sharp decrease.

Ooni said tomatoes should no longer be laid in batches of N500 but must also include N100 and N200 batches paving way for the poor to access the market.

“Ooni and all the executives have instructed the market men and women to pass this very important information to everyone in the market. As from today, every market association is hereby dismissed. The prices of food should be reduced in the whole market starting from pepper, tomatoes and rice” a representative of the Ooni announced to traders warning that those who disregard the directives will meet their Waterloo.

Following the removal of fuel subsidy last year, prices of food and other items saw sharp increase across board.