Oshimili South Legislators Engage Sachet Water Producers Over Rising Prices
By Chibuzor Ogode
ASABA/Nigeria: Legislative members of Oshimili South Local Government Council have engaged the leadership of sachet water producers in Delta North Senatorial District over the increasing prices of sachet water, popularly called ‘pure water’.
The leader of the legislative arm of the council, Hon. Micheal Okonji, who stated this during a meeting in Asaba with sachet water producers, said the issue became pertinent due to complaints from constituents that Asaba producers were selling higher than other towns such as Onitsha.
The Chairman of Business Rules and Ethics Committee of the council, Hon Chukwunweike Tolefe, who was said to have facilitated the engagement, emphasized the need to find a common ground on how to reduce the price of sachet water in the area.
He wondered why other sachet water producers from nearby Anambra State sell their products at a cheaper cost to Deltans, while those in Delta North were selling at higher prices.
Responding on behalf of the Delta North Sachet Water Producers Association, Mrs Ijeoma Popo, said that the possibility of reducing the price of sachet water was not visible, blaming the harsh economic realities in the nation as a major factor for the increases.
“We don’t want to cut corners by giving the public standard products. The cost of raw materials had doubled in price. Cost of production is steadily increasing. We have staff salaries and government annual tax and dues to pay. All these are the reasons the cost of sachet water increased recently,” Mrs Popo stated.
The roundtable engagement ended with both parties agreeing that there would be no further increase in the cost of the commodity within Oshimili South Local Government Area.
The legislative arm also promised to engage vulcanizers within the local government area as a result of complaints from constituents over the rise in the services of vulcanizers in Oshimili South.
