Residents of Ejigbo and Badagry in Lagos State have commended the government for the ‘Ounje Eko’ discounted market initiative and sought its extension beyond April 7.

The residents in large numbers besieged the venues of the market at Model Primary School, Ejigbo and St. Thomas Primary School in Badagry, on Sunday, the last day of the exercise.

Items sold at the market at discounted price are eggs, rice, garri, onions, pepper and bread.

The residents commended the seamless exercise at the Ounje Eko discounted market.

A resident at the Ejigbo market, Omolara Bashiru, said that she arrived early to register in order to purchase some food items.

Mrs Bashiru said that the prices of food stuffs remained unchanged since the beginning of the programme.

She said that government opened to locations in Ejigbo due to outcry of residents over the initial market at Jakande Estate, Oke-Afa, that was not accessible to all.

Also speaking, another resident, Uzor Okeke, said that he had issues with network at the point of purchase and the transaction was declined.

Mr Okeke said he was debited but the transaction never went through.

He said that what surprised him most was that when he got to the market, his issue and others who had similar challenge had already been noted by the market officials and assured that they would be refunded.

Mr Okeke commended everyone involved in the exercise, saying that they really did a good job and appealed for extension of the market.

Speaking, Deputy Director, Ministry of Agriculture, Lagos State, and the Coordinator at the market, Halimat Adeniji, said that the exercise had been peaceful.

Also, a resident at the Badagry market, Funmilyao Fasasi, said that the government initiative had enabled her family to survive the economic hardship in the country.

She said, “Discount Market is a good initiative, since March, I have been patronising this place, buying my family needs which includes eggs, bread, rice, pepper and garri with just N15,000. At the regular market, I can’t spend less than N25,000, but with the Ounje Eko Discount Market, I have been saving a minimum of N10,000 since the beginning of the initiative. The market has saved more people and even enabled some family to eat balance diet.

“We are appealing to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to extend the market until the economic hardship is over. The initiative has saved many families from hunger and starvation.’’

Speaking in the same vein, a civil servant, Friday Ajasa, said the initiative had given opportunity to both salary earners and rich people in Badagry opportunity to buy at affordable prices.

“The market has provided opportunity to many distance relations to meet and buy items at cheaper prices. Government should please extend the initiative for the benefits of those that cannot afford the present economic hardship. We are benefiting from the market, so government should continue till we recover from economic hardship,” he said.

The Coordinator of the market in Badagry, Nusirat Hsmmed, commended security and waste management agencies for providing conducive environment in the markets.

She said that the onus was on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu  and his cabinet to decide whether to extend of the initiative or not.

The Ounje Eko Discount Markets Initiative was created by LASG to cushion the effects of economic hardship by reducing 25 per cent from the prices of items.

The markets, located in the Local Government Area and Local Council Development Area in Lagos, started from March 17 to April 7.

(NAN)