Sallah: Ram Sellers In Ondo Decry Low Patronage, Urges FG To Address Suffering Of Masses

By Niyi Olutunde, Akure

Barely five days to the Eid-el-Kabir celebration, Ram sellers in Akure, Ondo State Capital has expressed regrets about the low sale they had recorded.

Our Correspondent market survey around the town showed that many ram selling points which include, Shasha market, Ilesha garage area, just to mention view saw the presence of many rams that remain unsold for days.

Alhaji Gabo Abdullahi, who sells his rams at Shasha market, said that the ram sellers had never had it so bad.

Abdullahi, who came from Kaduna with rams, said he sold only five out of the 50 rams he brought to Akure two weeks ago.

“The economic situation has contributed to the low patronage and is affecting even our pockets.

“There is still hope, as the festival is few days from now, we pray to make some sales before then.
“Returning the animals will be a great loss to me because of the expenses involved,” he said.

Abdullahi said prices of the animals ranged from N25, 000 to N120, 000.

Another ram seller at Ilesha garage area, Baballe Yaro, also blamed the current economic recession as the main factor responsible for the low sales recorded so far.

“The current economic meltdown has now become a threat not only to ram sellers, but also to the entire business activities in Nigeria.

“The Federal Government should do something urgently to address the suffering of the masses.

“Although, people want to buy rams for the festival, they cannot afford to, due to the prevailing economic situation in the country”.

Yaro believed that the price may eventually crash as many traders would not want to return back with the animals.

According to him, some of the traders bought the rams from far Nothern states of Niger Republic, Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina states.

“But, there is hope since we have few days before the celebration, if all civil servants can be paid their salaries by ondo government before Sallah,” he said.

It would be recalled that the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, had last week declared Friday September 1st, 2017, as Eid-el-Kabir day.

Abubakar, who is the Chairman, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, made the declaration, following the sighting of the new moon of Zulhijja, on Tuesday last week.

In a statement signed by the Chairman, Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs to the Sokoto Sultanate Council, Prof. Sambo Junaidu, the monarch said Muslims in Nigeria would observe Friday, September 1, as Sallah day.