The Mayor of Urhoboland and notable ex-militant leader, Eshanekpe Israel a.k.a Akpodoro, has called on the federal government to make its directive on the pricing of cement by the manufacturers simple and more specific on how much a bag of cement should be sold across the country.
The Mayor stated this in Ughelli, Delta State over the weekend, noting that the presidential order lacks specifics which he said should not be the case because manufacturers and distributors of building materials are wicked and are bereft of good conscience.
Akpodoro wondered why the price of cement that limestone is its raw material and wholly sourced locally in the country will rise to as much as fifteen thousand naira per bag.
He noted that the president should mention specifically what should be the cost per bag of the product anywhere in Nigeria.
According to Akpodoro, a bag of cement was previously sold at various times at N500, 1,500, 2,500, 3,200, 4,500, 7,000, 9000, and now it is between N10,000 and N15,000.
He said the directive of the president should point how much precisely that a bag of cement should be sold in the Nigerian market.
The Mayor called on the president to establish a national taskforce for price control on building materials to be headed by him (Akpodoro) stating that an average Nigerian buyer and seller is wicked and greedy.
He maintained that prices of goods and commodities are driven mostly by greed, selfishness, wickedness, unpatriotism, and lack of good conscience by citizens to whom honesty in business is alien.
The Gbaregolor, Ughelli South-born Mayor, noted that the price control of cement in the country is the simplest thing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration can successfully carry out without stress.
He said should the producers of cement choose to be adamant, the president should open the floodgate for the importation of cement to preponderate the market.
He stressed that the monopoly of cement manufacturers is creating bad image for the administration and that should not be allowed to persist in Nigeria.
Akpodoro, a former ex-militant leader said: “This is when the government should muster the political will to deliberately break the jinx created by the cement racketeers, profiteers and price speculators who have constituted themselves as enemies of the Nigerian state.
“Alternatively, he said the president should establish a taskforce on the pricing and sales of cement in the market.
He said: “I surrender myself to head such committee that will nip the wickedness against the Nigerian people in the bud.
“Nigeria is an exclusive preserve of cement manufacturers. It is time to issue license for cement importation into the country and allow our local product to healthily compete for space in the market..
“Surrendering a population of 250m people to the whims and caprices of few wicked businessmen should be discouraged,” he stated.
