News
VIDEO: Ooni of Ife bans market associations, controls food prices
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi says he would banish any trader, market men or women who sell food items and other essentials above the reach of the common man.
The move, reports say is one of the strategies being deployed by the foremost monarch to control the daily increase in prices of food items and commodities.
The traditional ruler also banned market associations and unions from fixing prices of food items and other commodities and also coercing members to sell at particular rates. He warned that anyone caught instigating the hiking of prices of goods risks outright banishment from Ile-Ife.
Ooni Ogunwusi, through his chiefs on Friday, went round major markets in the ancient town to inform the traders that they were free to sell at their own prices.
In a viral video on the social media, the chiefs were heard delivering the message of the monarch, telling the market women that nobody should coerced or fixed prices for others.
The Ooni also ordered that a portion of pepper should henceforth, be sold at the rate of N100 to N200.
The monarch also warned those selling seven cups of foodstuffs as a congo to residents to stop, adding that anyone caught will be banished from the town.
The chiefs in the video said “In the name of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi and the 16 Cheifs, the market heads (Babaloja and Iyaloja) of Ile-Ife should go and inform all market men and women in Ile-Ife that starting from today, (Friday), that Kabiesi has cancelled anything called market association.
“Also anyone who threatened or coerced another to sell their foodstuff or goods at a particular price will be dealt with. Everyone should sell at their own price.
“Also the people selling pepper should not sell a portion for more than N200. The act of selling a portion of pepper for N500 should stop from today.
“For those selling foodstuffs, anybody who cheats customers by selling 7 cups as a congo of rice, once caught, will leave the city.
“Similarly, any outsider who came to trade in Ile-Ife should be welcome. Anybody who chases an outsider who came to trade away will be sent out of Ile-Ife.”