By LUCY OGALUE

Many residents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have decried continues surge in food prices in spite of the rainy season.

Some residents, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, said the prices of most staple foods had gone beyond the reach of ordinary citizens.

They want Federal Government’s intervention to enable common Nigerians to be able to feed and meet their basic needs.

Mrs Dowuese Atule, a tailor, said: “I usually buy food in bulk and did some major shopping for the house towards the end of May.

“I went to the Apo fish market yesterday, with the hope that we were in the rainy season and the prices of most food items would have reduced.

“I could not believe my ears when my customer said a dust bin basket of tomatoes was still as high as N9,500.

“The same dust bin basket of pepper sold for N8,500, Tatase, N7,000; long pepper, N8,000 and onion, N 5,000.

“This high price made me to buy just very little quantity unlike what I planned to buy because I had limited funds.”

Atule appealed to the government to provide the necessary support and infrastructure to farmers to reduce their cost of production which in turn increases cost of food.

Mrs Fiona Johnson, a nurse, also lamented the high cost of food, saying she could no longer save, as almost all her income went into buying of food for her family.

“For several months now, I cannot boast of saving as much as N100,000, in spite my income, because I spend almost ever thing on food and transportation.

“The government really needs to look into these things because they are affecting ordinary Nigerians,” she said.

Mr Peter Terungwa, a Primary School Teacher, said that he was finding it very difficult to cater for the needs of his family.

“I teach at the Government Primary School, and you know we were on strike for a very long time until recently.

“Life has been very difficult for my family. My wife is a petty trader at the Apo Fish market and her daily sales is barely enough to even turn over her business.

“We struggle with the little we are able to gather to provide food for the family which is almost impossible due to the high cost of food items.

“A small dust bin basket of sweet potato sells for N3,000, you cannot even get five tubers of yam for N7,000 this days, food is very expensive,” he said

Mr Godswill Ekene, a tricycle rider, said the increasing cost of food was causing a strain to his pocket and affecting his savings.

Ekene said he used to spend N800 for a plate of meal which he usually ate to his satisfaction but recently, that same plate of food cost N2,500.

“I spend N2,500 now for a plate of food I used to buy for N800 at a popular road side restaurant here in Apo and the quantity of the food has reduced greatly.

“Although, I do not blame them at the restaurant because I go to the market sometimes and I know the prices of food items are high.

“As a single man, who is not always at home. It is easier for me to eat out than cooking that is why I have continued to patronise the restaurant.

“I pray the cost of the items drops in the market, so that the cost of food will also reduce, and I will be able to save more money,” he said.

Mrs Angella Ogbole, a widow, said the sharp increase in food prices was making it difficult for her to feed her family of five.

Ogbole appealed to the government to address the factors contributing to the price hike, especially the cost of transportation to help stabilise food price.

Ms Ezinne Obumneme, a mother of four children said that her standard of living was dropping on a daily basis.

Obumneme, who said she could no longer meet up with the cost of some of the basic required nutrients in her children’s meal like protein, said they had resorted to eating without them.

“I used to buy brisket bone of about N1,000 to prepare meals every weekend for my family and that served as source of protein for us.

“Recently the price of the same quantity of brisket bone has almost tripled in the market, forcing us to prepare our meals without protein.

“This is in spite of the cost of other food items which has continued to increase.

“When you cannot afford balanced diet for yourself and your family, I do not think there is hope for the common man in this country,” Obumneme said. (NAN)