PHCCIMA Blames Bad Roads For Food Prices

The deplorable condition of roads in the country have been attributed to the high cost of foodstuffs.

The president, Port Harcourt Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), Engr. Vincent Furo, who made this assertion in a chat with newsmen in his office in Port Harcourt, said as a result of the bad roads, transportation of farm inputs like fertilisers had skyrocketed.

According to him, transporters charged huge sums of money to transport these goods due to the condition of the roads, and enjoined the federal government and other state governments to ensure that prior attention was given to this sector, in order to anehorate the transport difficulties being faced by the people at the grassroot.

To cursion the effect, the PHCCIMA boss said the re-introduction of rail transportation would be an alternative means while work on the roads are on-going.

He said most cuidised countries in the World used rail transport system, which he said is cheaper, easier and safer, and agitated that such transportation system should be introduced.

On the removal of oil subsidy, Engr. Furo said there is nothing wrong in the removal of the subsidy if it would be in the interest of the common citizens who are at the receiving end, saying that government should look inward so that it would not affect their cost of living.

The PHCCIMA president said before the action, government should put in place necessary infrastructures like good road network as well as building of more refineries, so that the product could be available at every destination.

He however said the problem in oil subsidy issue is the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) with some cabre in control of the activities, and called for a thorough surgical operation on those in-charge of the products.

Collins Barasimeye