Eid el-Fitr: Zamfara Muslim faithful lament economic hardship, unpaid salaries
Few days to Eld el-Fitr celebration, the Muslim faithful in Zamfara State have lamented that the present economic hardship may prevent them from celebrating a happy Sallah.
The Muslims cited example of escalating prices of foodstuffs necessary for the Islamic occasion, saying that they need divine intervention to provide all they need for this year’s Sallah celebration.
According to one Haliru Ibrahim, “I have not bought any cloth for my children for the Sallah celebration due to lack of money. I am a State civil servant and have not collected my salary since February this year.
“And there is no sign that salaries and allowances will be paid to the workers before the religious celebration. We are in a serious economic mess.”
Another civil servant, Umaru Mohammed, lamented that Zamfara is a Muslim community and the State government shouldn’t be treating civil servants and Muslim faithful with a mere wave of hand especially during Ramadan and Sallah celebration.
“It has been a tradition in this State that the government always give Ramadan welfare packages to Muslims but this year, the State government have refused to follow the tradition as no single grain or anything was given to the people by the State government.
“The refusal to give the Ramadan welfare packages may not be unconnected to Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle’s defeat at the governorship election. But that does not portray him as a good politician,” he said.
A market survey carried out by Newsmen revealed that the prices of essential commodities continued to escalate on daily basis as the religious celebration draws nearer.
According to a tomato seller, Musa Abubakar, the increase in foodstuff prices was occasioned by the banditry activities, fuel scarcity and other negative factors, pointing out that many villagers who are mainly farmers have been sacked from their communities, hence the scarcity of foodstuffs.
“Apart from buying the items very costly, we also pay exorbitant fees to transport our goods to Gusau, all these are the main reason for the escalation of foodstuffs prices
“If we continue to sell at normal prices, we will close down our businesses and our families would not be maintained. We, the tomato sellers also buy other items from the sellers at escalating prices,” he said.
Abubakar noted that sellers of these commodities sell as they buy from the farmers, stressing that they did not have the intension to frustrate Muslims during the Ramadan period and Sallah celebration.
This medium also gathered that a kilo of meat that was being sold at the price of N2,200 before the Ramadan is being sold for between N3,100 and N3,200.
One Ahmed Dangulbi, a butcher, told Newsmen that the domestic animals are even scarce, saying that sometimes they have to bribe their way and have to increase the prices of the meat.
The State chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Sani Haliru confirmed that workers and pensioners in the State have not been paid their salaries and allowances since February this year.
He assured that workers salaries and allowances will be paid to them before the Eld Fitr celebration as the Nigeria Labour Congress is on top of the issue, appealing to the State civil servants to remain law abiding.
