Time to address the rising and increasing prices of everything, including drugs in kogi state.
By Otori Ozigi
It goes without saying that Kogi State is always in the news for the wrong reasons.
The only thing that is normal in the State is the good governance shown by the administration of the Executive Governor,Alhaji Ododo Ahmed Usman ,and two other active members of the National Assembly, like Elder Abejide from Kogi West ,at the House of Representatives and Senator Barrister Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central senatorial district.
These are the few political leaders that have brought sunshine and hope to the gloomy faces of Kogites in the state, so far.
The other representatives are nothing but bench warmers in the National Assembly.
For several times running, the National Bureau of Statistics have named Kogi State as a gold medalist in everything negative and abnormal in the economy.
The state is comfortably leading other 35 states, including the Federal Capital, Abuja as the most costliest state to live in.
Each time I hear this bad news I become weak to the marrow.
How come we are leading states like Lagos, Rivers and even Abuja?
I was always tempted to discountenance the crazy statistics from NBC,but for the fact that I know that the Patriots working in the NBC are the only people that can be trusted to reel out credible and reliable statistics at a time like this.
That institution is not like INEC,EFCC and National Population Commission that are struggling with their credibility level.
I have come to trust whatever comes from NBC.
They don’t play politics with their constitutional responsibilities.
Viewed against this background therefore,one is tempted to ask some fundamental questions concerning the situation in Kogi State, particularly the ongoing economic quagmire that have defied any economic solution so far.
What exactly is responsible for the unique galloping inflation and high cost of living in the state?
What are the factors responsible for the prevailing negative trends in the economy.
It is only in Kogi State that the prices of basic necessities of life like drugs,food items and other consumables have continued to climb the mount everest in the market place and pharmacy stores.
There is a particular drug I was buying at 2500 naira before that is now selling for 5500 naira at a popular pharmacy store in Okene,Kogi State.
The same drug is selling above 6000 naira in Lokoja, the State capital.
Apart from drugs, the prices of essential commodities have remained at the rooftops as we speak.
Ordinary gari is now 130 naira per tin of milk.
Even eggs is now selling for 200 naira as if the chickens have stopped learning how to lay eggs in Kogi State.
Another thing that have gone out of the reach of the masses are prices of spare parts of motor vehicles in the state.
Likewise prices of building materials like rods and even sands.
A tipper load of sand is now going for 65,000 naira .It was at 21,000 naira in 2022.
Kogi state that is traditionally a civil service state is leading in economic woes and crazy prices of everything.
I doff my hat for every shylocks in the state.
Make una continue.
Very soon monkey go go market and would not return.
I will advise the humane and people oriented governor,Alhaji Ododo Ahmed Ododo to take decisive steps to stem the tides of the galloping inflation and increasing prices of everything in the state.
He should hold a meeting with the representatives of market women and other stakeholders in the economic sector, like the Igbo traders in the state and read the riot acts to them to stop making lives difficult for residents of Kogi State.
Enough should be enough.
May God deliver us from their wicked hands.Amen.
Otori Ozigi ,a Veteran Journalist and PR Consultant,writes from Okene,Kogi State.
08073295000 –SMS only.