In the wake of International Women’s Day Celebration last week, some market women in Lagos say they are facing Monumental difficulties as a result of the worsening economic situation in the country.
Daily Champion spoke to some of these women at the popular Aswani market in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government area of Lagos and they were full of laments.
Aswani Market used to be a once in a week market for second hand items especially clothes, bags, boxes etc. The market however was rebuilt a few years ago and merchants for second hand electronics and electrical gadgets made it their daily market. They sell, repair and refurbish gadgets for customers.
However, every Tuesday of the week, Aswani turns into almost an international market as traders from all walks of life including meat sellers, fresh vegetables, fresh and dry fish sellers, as well as textile merchants, article sellers, fast moving consumer products all come to Aswani to display and sell their wares.
Most of the traders come from different parts of Lagos like Mushin, Apapa, Ajegunle, Ojo, Bariga, Egbeda, Iyana Iyana, Iju, Meiran, Okoko and even Lagos Island, to mention just a few.
Some traders also come from the neighbouring states like Ogun, Ondo, Oyo etc while some foreigners come from neighbouring African countries like Benin Republic, Ghana and Togo.
There is usually a sweltering, sweating mass of humanity moving about at Aswani Market on Tuesdays come rain or shine.
Being aware of the above, Daily Champion went on a fact finding mission yesterday being Tuesday at the popular market.
The fact finding mission was for two reasons
1) To find out how women of low income level were coping in the harsh economic climate and
2) To find out how many of these women had benefitted from the much talked about Federal and State government palliatives given to mostly people of their social levels.
Champion findings revealed that the economic situation was biting really hard as most of the women spoken to decried the situation and indicated that they did not get any palliatives and their children were perishing from hunger.
Iya ibeji, who sells items like Matches, cotton buds, toothpicks etc said “I no fit buy meat or fish to cook again. Na beske – the thing weh dem dey commot for cow, naim, I dey put for vegetable and me and my children go chop. I no fit buy even pomo”.
Asked if her household got palliative of any sort, she replied “we no see oh”
The story was the same for several others. Iya Hakeem, a middle aged woman also called Iya Eleja, because she sells ice fish said “In the morning, I give children pap and for afternoon, I buy N200 Amala without meat for dem and dat is all for the day. Nobody dey fit chop 3 times a day now” we no see palliative oh”.
Mama Ejima who sells soup condiments explained “Na wetin I get, I dey give pikin, I no dey ask wetin dem wan chop again” Na God dey help us. We no see palliative.”
It is interesting that all the market women and even some men that Champion spoke to denied getting any palliative and it sure begs the question, who then got the government palliatives?.
Mama Deji, who sells second hand braziers told Champion, “I live opposite a local government, when dey wan do immunization, dem dey knock our gate but na only for Television, we dey see sharing of palliative. I am a widow with four children and to feed is difficult. My market no dey move like before. We no dey see customer like before”
An elderly woman of about 65 years who sells soup condiments, called Mama Ugba, told Champion “Palliative no reach my hand. E get time when some people came and wrote down our names and later came back with some things but dey say my name no dey list so I no get anything. My husband is sick. He has been bedridden for about two years now and I am the one taking care of him. Recently, my daughter who gave birth to a mentally challenged child dumped her with me claiming that I am the cause of the child’s problems. I live at Ojo Alaba and often times cannot come early to meet my customers because I have to take care of both my husband and grandchild and make them comfortable before I can come. Things are difficult and my grown children are struggling with their own difficulties too so no help from them”
Iya Nike told Champion, “we no smell palliative. Nobi say government no give but na the people e pass through their hands go chop all. Dem no share am give us oh”
Mama Elibo told Champion ” we no dey chop like before. If we see food chop two times in a day we dey thank God.
Another woman whose child was crying on her lap said, ” see as my child dey cry, na hunger dey wire am. I don give am pap but e no do am. When I sell something now, I go buy am small food”.
The story was the same everywhere. A dry fish seller who said his name is Buhari said he too didn’t get any palliative but declined to comment on whether he is still able to give his children three square meals a day.
Another woman who was passing by and overheard the conversation with Buhari shouted ” Tell them that Hunger is killing our children oh. The hardship is too much.”
Asked what they wanted the government to do for them, iya ibeji quipped, “if dey wan give us anything, make dem come for market day share am for everybody, make dem no give any chairman oh because e no go reach us”.
Another market woman, responded thus, “I no believe in give me. I believe in struggling for myself but let Government help us bring down the price of foodstuffs. We are suffering and we no fit afford good food again”
