by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna

A popular Nigerian Pastor has mobilized 1,000 religious leaders to embark on ceaseless preaching against growing hike in prices of commodities, ahead of this year’s 2023 holy month of Ramadan, amidst high cost of living and scarcity of fuel as well as new naira notes saga across the country, respectively.

The Pastor said that, “Now is the time to remember widows, the physically-challenged persons, inmates, orphans and IDPs so that they too could have relieve in the holy month.

Pastor Yohanna Buru, who is the General Overseer of Christ Evangelical and Life Intervention Ministry, has expressed readiness towards mobilizing over 1,000 Christian and Muslim volunteers to visit markets and plead with traders not to hike price of commodities.

In a statement made available to the press, Pastor Buru said, “In less than 3 weeks, Muslims around the world would start 30 days’ fasting and prayers, and hence, the need to appeal to marketers not to take advantage of the holy month to create artificial scarcity and hoarding of foodstuffs. 

Buru said the campaign would assist in making some of the marketers to reduce prices of the commodities, and it will enable fasting Muslims buy products at affordable prices. 

According to him, every year, ahead of Ramadan period, he normally kicks-off this campaign in which he visits markets in Kaduna and some parts of northern Nigeria to talk to marketers to help towards in reducing the prices of food stuffs and other commodities.

“This year 2023 campaigns is expected to start from next week and is going to spread to all the markets across the North, with the aim of calling and appealing to marketers to cut down prices,” it stated. 

He also said they would visit markets across the North with the advocacy, so that Muslims could afford to buy foodstuffs as the Ramadan fasting begins. “This has become mandatory, in view of the rising prices of food commodities in the markets, as the Holy month approaches,” he said.

While stressing that every year before starting the Ramadan, Muslim and Christian clerics do usually meet with some of the marketers and discuss on the importance of the holy month, Pastor Buru called on them not to take advantage of the holy month and double the prices of foodstuffs or create artificial scarcity.

He said they have mobilized 1,000 volunteer Christian-Muslim clerics across the north to help in their “Cut-down-your-price” campaign to all market unions across the North.

Pastor Buru said this is his 12th time of visiting many markets in Kaduna ahead of Ramadan, in order to inform them on the need to cut down prices of goods to enable Muslims have access to them at affordable prices.

“The clerics are going to visit Sheikh Gumi Central Market, Railway Market, and Barnawa Market, among others. We want Muslims to buy foodstuffs and fruits at affordable prices throughout the 30 days, while breaking their fast.

“God will be angry with any trader that doubles the price of his goods just because he wants to take advantage of the holy season. Such marketer will not enter paradise,” he stated.

While calling for prayers for the peace and stability of the nation for the gubernatorial elections, Imam Ibrahim Musa, who is one of the Northern Nigeria Islamic scholars, similarly said “All is set for next week to visit the markets and appealed to the marketers on the importance of holy month of Ramadan. 

“There are plenty blessings in cuttings down food prices. God has plenty rewards for any marketer that reduces the prices of foodstuffs during the Holy month of Ramadan. There are plenty bonanza for him, as God would reward him abundantly,” he said.