Ooni of Ife reportedly bans market associations to control food prices, caps pepper at N200

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, has threatened to banish any trader, market men, or women who sell food items and other essential commodities beyond the reach of the common people in his domain.

This move by the palace is part of its means of addressing the skyrocketing hike in prices of food and commodities. The traditional ruler banned market associations and unions from fixing prices of food items and other commodities and also coercing members to sell at particular rates.

He warned that anyone caught instigating the hiking of prices of goods risks outright banishment from Ile-Ife. The monarch, while addressing all market associations and unions in the ancient town through his chiefs, announced the cancellation of all market associations, saying that traders are free to sell at their own prices.

The chiefs, in a video, said: “In the name of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, and the 16 Chiefs, the market heads (Babaloja and Iyaloja) of Ile-Ife should go and inform all market men and women in Ile-Ife that starting from today, Kabiesi has cancelled anything called market associations.

Also, anyone who thr3atens or coerces another to sell their foodstuffs or goods at a particular price will be dealt with. Everyone should sell at their own price. Also, people selling pepper should not sell a portion for more than N200. The act of selling a portion of pepper for N500 should stop from today.

For those selling foodstuffs, anybody who cheats customers by selling 7 cups as a congo of rice, once caught, will leave the city. Similarly, any outsider who comes to trade in Ile-Ife should be welcomed. Anybody who chases an outsider who came to trade away will be sent out of Ile-Ife.”