Umahi Signs Law Against Food Price Hike, Hoarding In Ebonyi State

The Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Dave Umahi, yesterday signed into law a bill prohibiting hike in foods and the hoarding in the state. There has been steady increase in the sales of food commodities in the since the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic in the country.

A bushel of rice which was originally sold between N6,000 and N6,500 is now sold between N8,000 and N9,000. Also, a painter of garri which was sold for N400 is now between N800 and N900.

The price of foods is expected to increase in the days ahead as sellers had continued to hoard them to enable them make more gains. Following this development, Umahi approached the state House of Assembly to approve a bill to ban all form of foods’ hoarding and the price hike. The bill was passed into law by the state House of Assembly on Wednesday this while it was signed into law by the governor.

Umahi said: “There shall be no hoarding of foods, drugs and other essential goods and services within the State, or refusal to provide foods, drugs and other essential goods and services within the State for citizens to buy. “It shall be an offence to artificially inflate the prices of foods, drugs and other essential goods and services within the State. “It shall be an offence to hoard foods, drugs and other essential goods and services within the State or refusal to provide foods, drugs and other essential goods and services within the State for people to buy.

“Where a person breaches any of the above, the culprit(s) shall be prosecuted in accordance with the Law and there shall be seizure and forfeiture of the foods, drugs and other essential goods to the State, and in addition, such forfeited foods, drugs and other essential goods shall be utilized for the purposes of alleviating the supply needs in the State. Security agencies and indeed anybody or committee so designated by me shall effect and ensure strict compliance.