Lokoja, the administrative headquarters of Kogi State has been reportedly hit with shortage of bread supply and residents want both Federal and State governments to intervene immediately.
Consumers of bread in and around Lokoja have tasked Federal and State governments to immediately intervene in the stoppage of bread supply by bread bakers to avert further untold hardship being faced by the already suffocated citizens of the State.
Some bread consumers who spoke to newsmen at Lokogoma, Adankolo, Kabawa, barrack and Otokiti housing estate expressed their chagrin over the none availability of the staple food for their consumption.
One of the bread buyers, Mr. Solomon Bawa told our correspondent that he came to Lokogoma to buy bread but went back disappointed has those selling it informed him that the bread bakers did not supplied their products .
”You know that we the bread buyers serve as the middle men between bread producers and the Consumers but to our surprised we waited to no avail for the bread bakers to supply us the sellers”.
One of the bread sellers in Adankolo-Lokoja lamented that the short supply of the staple food may not be unconnected to the unbearable high cost of materials for the production of bread.
She told our correspondent in confidence that bread Consumers who constitute about ninety percent of the population of the State would bear the brunts of the increase of the products as the bakers have no options than to skyrocket the bread price to enable them survive the hardship.
The State Chairman, Association of master bakers and caterers of Nigeria, Chief Bamidele Gabriel Adeniyi confirmed the development stating that his members have shot down the production of bread making it difficult for consumers to access their products.
Chief Bamidele Adeniyi who is also the Chairman and executive officer of God’s first bread Lokoja, regretted that the cost of purchasing floors and other materials for the production of the staple food necessitated their decisions.
”The unbearable taxation of both the state and federal governments has equally made it uneasy for them to produce, hence their resolutions to break down their production”.
He called on Governments at all levels to adopt policies that Will help his members to resume production adding that hundreds of Youth and Women who are under their employment are losing their jobs due to the unfortunate development.
Chief Bamidele Adeniyi concluded that the only option left for them is to increase the price of any bread produced to enable them meet the cost of production.
