...As Lagos ram sellers lament low patronage

As Muslims celebrate Sallah, many Lagos ram sellers, yesterday lamented low patronage even as prices drop.

Some of the ram sellers who spoke to Daily Trust, blamed the drop in this year’s sale to the current economic downturn.

“Everywhere has been silent. Our animals are all over the places, there have been no sales. I must say that this year’s Sallah celebration is worse than that of last year,” the chairman of Sabo market, Ikorodu , Mr Taiwo Futai, Ikorodu has said.

It was also gathered that as a result of low patronage, some of the ram sellers were forced to lower their prices in order to make more sales.

“I have to reduce the prices in the market so as to make sales due to the current situation of the country. I just have to lower the prices. Currently, a cow that will sell for between N120,000 to N150,000 now being sold for N100,000 while ram of N90,000 now goes for N70,000,” another ram seller Oluboji Fati said.

Mr. Oluboji urged the government to pay workers’ salary so as to enable them to buy necessary things to enable them celebrate.

The situation is not different in Naval market, Ayobo, Lagos. Our reporters who visited ram sellers in the market along Onoara road, Ayobo, noticed low patronage, barely hours to the EidelKabir celebrations. Rams were seen in various sizes tied to stomps with few buyers on sight.

Mr Abdul Haruna, a ram seller at the market said: “There are only few buyers compared to last year. The price of rams this year is a bit high because of the economy, but we have done our best in reducing the price for our customers. Rams which were sold for N35,000 last years are going for N50,000 this year,” he said.