Some building materials dealers in Enugu State have blamed the hike in transportation fare and bad road to increase in the price of cement and rods.
A survey conducted by newsmen in Enugu on Wednesday showed that there was a slight increase of between five and seven per cent in the commodities.
A rod dealer at Kenyatta market, Mr Eugene Agbo, lamented the deplorable condition of roads particularly in the South East Zone and the increase in the fuel pump price from N145 to N180, as contributors to the hike in price.
According to him, it takes vehicles longer hours to deliver goods from Kano, Benue, Aba, and Port Harcourt to Enugu due to bad roads.
Agbo also said that Federal Government’s ban on importation of the products into the country’s market influenced their local production.
He said that the insecurity being witnessed at the Northern part of the country was also a problem as many lorry drivers dreaded going there for fear of being attacked.
Another rod dealer at Kenyatta Market, Mr Obiorah Atansi said that the dry season was always their season as they recorded very high patronage during the season.
Atansi said that 16mm length of rod sold for N3, 350 as against N2, 950 they sold late last year while the 12mm sold for N1, 900 as against N1, 700.
Others, he said, are 10mm which sells for N1, 400 as against N1, 250 while 8mm length goes for N950 as against N850 and the 6mm which the price remains N500.
A cement dealer, Mr Ejike Onu, said Burham Cement and Dangote Cement which sold for N2, 400 in December, 2017 now sold for N2, 550.
“Unicem Cement which people refer to as very essential was sold in August, 2017 at the rate of N2, 700 per bag is now being sold at N2, 850.
“Ibeto Cement, which is more popular in the South East, is sold for N2,500 before but now sold for N2, 650 while Bua Cement which they referred to as foreign product was N2,550 also in August but now sold for N2, 650, “ he said.
Mr Peter Ajagu, another Cement dealer at Timber Market, Abakpa Nike corroborated Onu’s view on the prices.
He added that the products were witnessing a high demand especially from some construction companies and individuals who used the dry season to complete their projects.
Ajagu, however, appealed to governments at all levels to complete roads in the zone and also harmonise the hike in pump price of fuel to reduce the cost of the products.
A building contractor, Mr Joel Anikwe lamented the high cost of building materials, which he noted had made it very difficult for an average Nigerian to build a house.
Anikwe, who claimed to be constructing for both government and individuals, said he was finding it difficult to make profit after working for government.
“Government will always contract the job of 2016 in 2018 without variation or upward review. No matter what one is passing through, government will never give variation to augment the loss.
“I want to appeal to government to look into the cost of building materials to enable a poor man to provide shelter for his family,’’ he said.