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How Robbers Frustrate Petty Traders In PH

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Miss Mercy Attah,
a 19-year-old orphan relocated from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital to Obidianso Street in Mile II Diobu, Port Harcourt, to occupy a one-room rented apartment where her father, Mr Joseph Attah, lived and died few months ago. The poor orphan, in search of survival, decided to engage herself on petty trading.
She woke up as early as 5.00am and was heading towards one of the bakeries to buy some bread for sale later in the morning. But as she walked a few poles away from her residence, three fierce-looking young men surrounded her. Two of the youngmen  were wielding shot guns and the third, a matchette. As poor Mercy made to run away from the armed robbers, she was caught. She struggled with them wailing and shouting, hoping that help would come from the neighbourhood, but none came and the thieves dispossessed her of her handset and N3,500 with which she planned to pay for the bread.
According to her, “the robbers were not in a hurry as they merely strolled away from the scene and moved towards the adjacent street”.
“My greatest surprise was that nobody in the neighbourhood showed any concern or interest in coming to my rescue. This could not have happened in Uyo where I lived and schooled for years”, said the poor orphan.
Miss Attah’s case is even better compared to some other experiences narrated by one of the sympathizers who came out after an hour. “There was even a recent incidence in the same area” said an elderly woman who sells ‘Akamu’ within the neighbourhood.
“Two young girls were also going to buy bread. These bread hawkers were held up by the rascal thieves two weeks ago. The robbers did not only snatch their money, but they also raped them and left them with their torn dresses,” said the elderly woman who pleaded anonymity apparently for her safety.
This ugly drama has become rampant in the densely populated Diobu axis of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Almost on daily basis, petty traders and ‘bush market’ women whose trades demand that they leave their homes early in the morning to enable they sell to their customers who need the bread for their families’ breakfast or the bush market women who must leave early to the hinterlands where they buy their stocks pass through this dangerous situations.
In the process of carrying out their petty trading business majority are dispossessed of their hard-earned money while the more unfortunate ones get raped by the street robbers who even inflict injuries on them.
The activities of these street robbers is fast scarring a lot of the traders.
“As a result of this, if you need to go to buy your bread or supply goods early morning to your customers in the Mile I or Mile III markets, you have to wait till say from six O’clock or much later, so also those who wake up early to go to the bush markets”, advised one of the petty traders.
This underscores the need for a return of the spirit of being one’s neighbours’ keeper. Men living in the streets can mobilize and come for the rescue of such victims especially when they hear them crying helplessly instead of feeling unconcerned.
The law enforcement agents, especially the police, could step up their patrol strategies especially early in the morning when such incidents normally take place.
Moreso, as the security agencies move to reduce the alleged high volume of arms in the wrong hands, it is recommendable that the law enforcement agencies could resort to house-to-house search especially in areas where these suspected youths reside, like Diobu.
A good number of the young boys and girls involved in petty trading may have got some level of education but owing to the high unemployment rate in the country, they have little or no option than to engage in petty trading for survival.
While the government initiate some empowerment programmes, petty trading should as well be encouraged since it is legitimate and one major way of encouraging them is by making the environment safe for their operations.
The consequence of not giving proper attention to the poor petty traders could mean forcing them into armed robbery, prostitution and other anti-social activities.
It is true that provision of employment opportunities for the youths could reduce armed robbery and its attendant consequences.  But experience has shown that while government cannot provide for all in the society, most of the youths that have chosen robbery are themselves not employable.
This dangerous trend demands more proactive measures from the law enforcement agents and the only way to succeed in this bid is to involve the people who live within and have good understanding of how the street robbers operate.
Flushing the street robbers would not only boost petty businesses but would make the environment more secured for the people especially as the nation prepares  for the forthcoming general elections where past experiences have shown that armed youths work against free and fair elections in the country.
Past experience has also shown that armed robbers hid their guns inside abandoned vehicles in the streets. Consequent upon this revelation, there is the need for the government to ensure that a lot of abandoned vehicles on the streets in Diobu be evacuated by their owners.

 
Chris Oluoh

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Eazipay  Offers Zero-Interest Loans To  150,000 SMEs, Employees

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With a mission to ignite growth, encourage business continuity and help businesses and employees thrive, Eazipay is gearing up to propel the dreams of 150,000 SMEs and employees to new heights through her relief fund.
Gone are the days of financial constraints and stifled dreams. With Eazipay’s support, SMEs and employees alike can bid farewell to limitations and embrace a world of endless possibilities.
Whether it’s start up,  business expansion or personal development, Eazipay is here to make dreams come true.
The mind-blowing initiative, which  kicked off this month, would end in December, and will also offer a range of perks and benefits designed to put a smile on the faces of SMEs and employees alike.
From exclusive discounts to various advisory services and beyond, Eazipay is committed to spreading happiness and creating lasting impact in people’s lives and to the growth of businesses.
The technology company which offers products and services that range from payroll management to IT/Device management and assessments, “Eazipay isn’t just providing financial support but also unleashing a wave of growth and prosperity for SMEs and employees across the nation.
“Interested businesses and individuals can take part in this initiative directly from the Eazipay website: www.myeazipay.com”.

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SMEs Critical For Sustainable Dev – Commissioner

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The Commissioner of Finance, Lagos State, Abayomi Oluyomi, has described Small and medium Enterprises (SMEs) as a critical engine for sustainable development in any economy.
He said this recently at the 10th anniversary of the Alert Group Microfinance Bank and the opening of their new head office in Lagos.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, SMEs accounted for about 50 per cent of Nigeria’s gross.
He commended the positive impact of the Alert MFB as it empowers SMEs in the State.
“Alert MFB in the past 10 years has been at the forefront of empowering SMEs in Lagos State, disbursing over N30bn in loans to over 30,000 individuals having small to medium businesses over that period, which is quite remarkable”, he said.
Speaking, the Group Managing Director of Alert Group, Dr Kazeem Olanrewaju, revealed that the financial institution commenced business in 2013 as a microfinance bank.
“We started this journey in 2013 and it has been expanding. Today, they have about 10 branches across Lagos. They have supported well over 30,000 clients and have disbursed over N30bn.
“The company has been profitable since the second year. Looking at the market and the available opportunity, the Alert MFB board decided to come together to establish a Microfinance Institute (MFI), which is the Auto Bucks Lenders”, Dr. Olanrewaju said.
The GMD further stated that the company was focused more on supporting businesses and small and medium enterprises.
“The loan to support business represents over 98 per cent. The consumer loans you will see are the ones given to entrepreneurs. So, the area of focus of Alert MFB and Auto Bucks Lenders is to support businesses across the country.
“With the establishment of Auto Bucks Lenders, we have the opportunity to also do business outside Lagos. So, presently, we have offices in Ogun State and Oyo State. We intend to go to every part of Nigeria to support what we are doing”, he declared.

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Retailers Explain Price Drop In  Cement Cost

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The cement market, in the last couple of weeks, has seen a significant turnaround with prices tumbling from between N10,000 and N15,000 per 50kg bag to between N7,000 and N8,000.
The sudden rise in the prices of cement and other major building materials in February this year upsets  the construction industry, especially in real estate, where many developers were forced to abandon building sites.
A recent market survey conducted by The Tide’s source in different locations across the country confirmed a price drop, ranging between N7,000 and N7,500 per bag, though BUA cement is selling for N7,500 to N7,800 per 50kg bag, depending on location.
Both entrepreneurs and major distributors who were interviewed,  explained that the price drop is due to low demand and government’s intervention.
At the peak of the price hike, the Federal Government called a meeting with major producers where it was agreed that a bag of cement should be between for N7,000 to N8,000, depending on location.
But the producers did not comply with this agreement immediately, followin which “Nigerians stopped demanding for cement; many project sites were abandoned as developers sat back and waited for the prices to come down.
“So, what has happened is an inter-play of demand and supply with price responding, which is Economics at work”, Collins Okpala, a cement dealer, told the source in Abuja.
In the Nyanya area of the Federal Capital Territory, a 50-kg bag of Dangote cement now sells for between N7,000 and N7,500, while BUA cement sells for between N8,500 and N9,500, down from between N11,000 and N12,000 respectively.
In Lagos, the product has seen significant price drop too. In Ojo area of the state, Sebastin Ovie, a dealer, told our reporter that what has happened is a crash from the January price, attributing the crash to low demand and stronger naira.
“The current price of the product is between N7,000 and N7,500 per 50kg bag, depending on the brand. This is a significant drop from the average of N12,000 which most dealers were selling in February and March”, he said.
A dealer in Agege area of the state who identified himself as Taofik Olateju, told the source that sales are picking up due to the drop in price.
He recalled that Nigerians at a point stopped buying due to the high price of the product at N15,000 per bag.
“I am sure most dealers ran at a loss then because we had mainly old stocks which we wanted to offload quickly”, he said, confirming that the product sells for between N7,500 and N8,000, depending on the brand and the demand for the brand.
Continuing, Olateju noted that “because the naira is now doing well against the dollar, it will be unreasonable for manufacturers to continue to sell the product at the old prices. I also believe that the federal government’s intervention and the threat to license more importers may have worked, leading to the reduction in price”.
In Enugu, the source reports that the product sells for between N7,200 and N7,500 depending on the brand and location.
“This is a city where the price of a 50kg bag went for as high as N12,000 and N13,000 in some cases in February and March”, Samuel Chikwendu said.
He added that the prices of other building materials, especially iron rods, have also dropped considerably which is why, he said, activities are picking up again at construction sites.
The story is slightly different in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, where Innocent Okonkwo told the source that low demand was also driving the price drop, adding that a 50kg bag was selling for N9,000 on the average in the state.
Sundry market observers are optimistic of further price reductions, but they remain cautious as manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers continue to play critical roles in setting prices for end-users.
They lamented, however, that despite Nigeria’s status as one of the largest producers of cement in Africa, the price of the product continues to rise, particularly in the face of high inflation impacting the building materials market generally.
Okpala in Abuja highlighted the variations arising from direct sourcing from manufacturers versus procurement through dealers, with traders holding old stocks selling products at prices ranging from N8,500, N8,300 to N8,000 per bag.
Lucy Nwachukwu, another dealer in Abuja, said the significance of  procurement volume in determining cement costs, noting that stability in prices has been observed over the past month, with the product retailing for between N7,000 and N7,800 depending on the brand.
In Port Harcourt also, a customer, Daniel Etteobong Effiong, said the price goes between N7500 to N8500, depending on the brand and the location one is buying from.

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