Abuja Traders Lament Biting Fuel Scarcity, Cash Crunch

By Kabir Akintayo

Traders and buyers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed displeasure over the unending cash crunch and fuel scarcity in the city.

The traders who spoke to our ECONOMY ON THE STREET ANCHOR, Rahma Oladosu, said the systemic collapse in the city is making life meaningless for everybody.

Mrs Chigozie Onoja, a trader whose shop is located at Utako Market, said that, she hardly make sales since the introduction of New Naira Notes and its attendant naira scarcity.

She said: “As you can see, no market, no customer since morning, we are just sitting doing nothing. People are not coming out because they don’t have cash at hand.”

Another trader, Mallam Yakubu Haruna, who sells kitchen Utensils complained about the current dispensation, saying that he will stop opening his shop since he hardly make two thousand naira in a day.

“Unlike other days, I can make up to 50 thousand Naira daily, now I can’t even make anything, I will just close my shop and stop wasting transport money,” a helpless Haruna lamented.

Meanwhile, some passers-by also told ECONOMY ON THE STREET how they cope with the fuel scarcity and the Naira redesign policy.

Mrs Ayoola Kuburat said that the prices of goods have increased due to the fuel scarcity, adding that, since the cash to buy the goods is not available, she stopped going to the market.