Ram traders sell big in Abuja
Ex-Kuje council scribe, others dump PDP for APC
Ram sellers in Abuja have commended the Federal Government’s fight against insurgency saying it has boosted their sales.
There are many ram markets already in the nation’s capital flooded with significant number of prospective buyers ahead of the Eid-el Kabir Sallah celebration on Friday.
The traders said officials from government agencies, politicians and corporate organisations were among their top buyers. The former Secretary of Kuje Area Council, Musa Kaka and 162 other members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday.
The decampees included many PDP bigwigs in the council including the
A ram trader at the Gudu Roundabout, Salisu Lima, said unlike previous years during the height of insurgency when traders had to source rams from Niger Republic, nobody had to travel that far this year.
He also said patronage has been good as he sold over 100 rams in less than six days from the 350 rams he brought to Abuja.
“This year is better than last year because last year I returned home after the Sallah with many of my rams unsold,” he said.
Though there are still 250 of the rams left in his stall, he party’s women leader, Mrs Suzzana Bartholomew.
Speaking on behalf of the decampees, Kaka said he decided to lead other PDP members to the APC after he realised that only APC has the desire and focus to address the challenges facing Nigerians.
He said the administration in council under APC the the was optimistic that with the patronage he would not have to return to Zamfara with any of the animals.
“Last year people did not buy because they were afraid of Magu (referring to the anticorruption fight) but this year things have improved,” he said.
Lima said there are rams for all categories of people, from the rich to the poor, with the biggest going for about N120,000 at the ram market while the least was N35,000.
A trader at the ram market in Dutsen Alhaji, Ismaila Haruna, said patronage has leadership of Alhaji Abdullahi D. Galadima, has been able to carry other APC members along since he assumed office.
“After I carefully observed that APC is the only party that can take the masses to the Promised Land, I decided to mobilise some other members of PDP to pitch tent with the ruling APC,” he said. improved especially government agencies officials.
“One of the government officials just bought nine from me,” he said.
Haruna said the cheapest ram at the market costs N15,000 while the biggest cost N160,000. He commended the government’s fight against insurgency adding that it has led to a surge in patronage.
“I brought 68 rams from Katsina and I have already sold 40. I might even sell them all before the Sallah,” he said.
However a trader at the ram market in Gwarinpa, Sadiq Salisu, said patronage was poor but expressed hope that it would improve before the Sallah.
He said the experience of previous years stopped several traders from bringing rams early because most of them returned home with their unsold rams.
“You know this market usually booms few days to Sallah. Don’t worry everywhere will soon be full with rams and buyers,” he said.
A resident, Frank Ndubusi, said the price has increased from last year. He said the size he bought for about N35,000 last year now costs about N45,000. from and
The chairman of the APC in the area, Mr Godwin Poyi, who received the decampees at Pegni village, said he was elated by the defection.
The APC chairman further noted that the decampees have no doubt taken the right decision at the right time. He assured them of equal treatment with other party members.