Ebonyi sets up taskforce to stop arbitrary increase of food price.
Ebonyi state government has directed immediate set up of task force to stop arbitrary increase in the price of food stuffs, goods and services in the state as a result of coronavirus pandemic in the country.
Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Kenneth Ugbala, disclosed this in Abakaliki while briefing journalists on the outcome of the state Executive Council meeting.
Dr Ugbala regretted that from the beginning of this COVID-19, “a price of small painter garri was increased from N1,500 to N3,000 in Ishielu local government area of the state. I got wind of it and went there and these were old processed garri before the COVID-19.”
He said, “Because of COVID-19 and some palliative measures put in place by government, some of the traders have started increasing the price of goods and services and government is worried that if people can increase the price of transportation, essential goods like food stuffs and some other things that we depend daily to survive just to take advantage of this moment.
" we are really making things difficult for ourselves and the governor has directed that each council Chairman should work together with the Coordinators and of course the Internal Security Commissioner in the state to put up a task force that will be responsible to make sure that the prices of goods and services as it were, are still the way it should"
The SSG also directed the Council Chairmen to work together with security agents to ensure that the borders remain closed so that those who are coming from States which have been infected will not come in.
He maintained that the best way to handle this pandemic is to observe all the precautionary measures noting that what happened in Lagos recently where 34 cases were discovered was as a result of community infection.
He also said that the governor has directed that they should intensity house to house campaign in all the rural communities to ensure that all the precautionary measures are observed.