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The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has accused Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of diverting attention from the failures of President Bola Tinubu’s administration by repeatedly criticising the ADC and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The council said Kwankwaso’s response to its earlier statement had raised fresh questions about his political position and alleged links with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Kwankwaso is the vice-presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), whose presidential candidate is Peter Obi.
The ADC-PCC had earlier urged the former Kano State governor to stop attacking Atiku and instead hold the Tinubu-led government accountable for the country’s economic and security challenges.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the council’s Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Kwankwaso’s response failed to address the key issues raised by the opposition campaign organisation.
According to the council, Kwankwaso briefly mentioned the APC in his defence but devoted much of his response to criticising the ADC, prompting questions about his priorities as an opposition politician.
“Why is Senator Kwankwaso making our candidate the issue instead of confronting the ruling APC, whose policies have made life increasingly difficult for millions of Nigerians?” the council asked.
The ADC-PCC argued that Nigerians were more concerned about hunger, insecurity, rising fuel prices, the falling value of the naira and the growing cost of living than exchanges between opposition politicians.
It maintained that any politician seeking to provide an alternative to the current administration should focus on addressing these problems rather than attacking other opposition figures.
The council also questioned why Kwankwaso appeared more willing to criticise Atiku and the ADC than challenge the ruling party over the difficulties facing the country.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the ADC cannot and will not be distracted by Senator Kwankwaso,” the council declared.
The campaign council described the ADC as a growing political platform that was gaining acceptance among Nigerians. It said the party remained committed to mobilising citizens and offering an alternative to what it called the failures of APC governance.
It further challenged Kwankwaso to stop attacking the ADC in what it described as an attempt to gain political favour with the ruling party.
The council urged the NDC vice-presidential candidate to openly align himself with the APC if he shared its political agenda, rather than continuing to direct his criticism at the ADC.
The ADC-PCC said it would remain united and focused on its preparations for the 2027 general election, insisting that its priority was to present Nigerians with a credible alternative to the Tinubu administration.
Kwankwaso diverting attention from failures of President Bola Tinubu’s administration – ADC
Traders and consumers in Lagos have expressed concern over financial losses from spoilt fruits and vegetables, blaming heat, poor transportation and inadequate storage.
They spoke in separate interviews with journalists at Iddo Terminus, Mile 12, Balogun and Agboju markets.
A visit to the markets showed traders displaying fresh produce, including carrots, cucumbers, watermelons, cabbage, bananas and leafy vegetables, while some kept their goods under tables to shield them from sunlight.
Taiwo Abdulhamid, a trader at Iddo Terminus Market, said he sometimes loses two to three kilogrammes of carrots from every 10 kilogrammes purchased.
Mr Abdulhamid said the losses could cost him between N20,000 and N30,000, forcing him to discard spoilt produce or increase prices to recover part of his money.
Similarly, Mistura Olawale, a banana and pawpaw seller, said she lost about 10 per cent of her goods to spoilage before they reached the market.
Ms Olawale attributed the losses to bad roads, poor transportation and overripe produce, calling for improved feeder roads and refrigerated transit vans.
At Mile 12 Market, Rafiu Olamide, a seller of ugu and waterleaf, said more than 15 per cent of his vegetables sometimes spoilt within one or two days.
Mr Olamide said vegetables worth about N80,000 could result in losses exceeding N10,000, adding that she sometimes sold slightly damaged produce at reduced prices.
Blessing Sunday, a banana seller at Balogun Market, Eko Idumota, said she sometimes loses bananas worth about N100,000 from a batch.
Ms Sunday said selling groundnuts alongside bananas helped cushion the losses, adding that she hesitated to complain to suppliers about damaged fruits for fear of losing their patronage.
Shuaibu Tukur, a carrot seller at Carrot Site, Mile 12, said transportation challenges affected the quality of supplies sourced from Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Bauchi, Jos and Sokoto.
He said journeys from Sokoto to Lagos could take about 20 hours under favourable conditions but extend to two days, depending on road conditions.
Aminu Usman, a tomato seller at Mile 12 Market, said overcrowding during transportation caused tomatoes to press against one another and break.
Mr Usman said carefully selected tomatoes sold for about N45,000, while damaged or less visually appealing ones, locally called “Eesha”, sold for about N19,000.
He called for improved transportation and handling practices to reduce breakages and financial losses.
Beyond traders’ losses, consumers said spoilage often forced them to discard food purchased with money they could ill afford to waste.
Yusuf Halima said she could lose between N15,000 and N25,000 worth of fruits and vegetables monthly, particularly tomatoes and leafy vegetables.
“Sometimes, I buy N5,000 worth of tomatoes hoping they will last me for two weeks if I blend and store them, but if there is no light for two days, my freezer defrosts, and everything spoils,” she said.
Another consumer, Joshua Edward, said he discarded between 20 and 30 per cent of the fruits and vegetables he purchased weekly.
“If I buy vegetables or fruits for N10,000 weekly, at least N2,000 to N3,000 worth goes to the bin because it wilted, grew mould or started smelling,” he said.
Precious Taiwo, a consumer at Gate 3, Mile 12, said she had lost about N6,000 to spoilt mangoes and bananas, discouraging her from buying fruits as frequently.
Eunice Tosin, a student interviewed at Agboju Market, Festac, said tomatoes and bananas sometimes spoil shortly after purchase, forcing her to cut off affected portions.
Paulina Onoseme, a consumer at Iyana Iba, said carrots sometimes deteriorated by the following day, causing losses of about N500 on some occasions.
Ms Onoseme said some sellers concealed deteriorating carrots beneath fresh ones, adding that she discarded affected produce because of safety concerns.
Eddy Oloye, an engineer and farmer with a personal farm in Lusada, Agbara, said inadequate storage, poor transportation and ineffective preservation methods contributed to post-harvest losses.
Mr Oloye said discarded produce also created environmental nuisance but could be reused as animal feed or processed into other products through effective recycling systems.
He called for government and private-sector support for improved transportation, preservation facilities and training in proper produce handling.
Ebube Agbim, a vegetable seller on Joseph Lambo Street, Costain, said poor packaging and storage contributed to the deterioration of scent leaf, ugu and waterleaf.
Ms Agbim estimated that affected vegetables could be worth about N3,000 daily, although her actual loss was approximately N1,500.
Jubril Useni, a trader at Small Garage, Mile 12, said heat, overcrowded vehicles and prolonged journeys sometimes damaged pepper, green pepper, ground beans and spring onions before they reached the market.
The traders and consumers called for improved transportation, better storage and affordable preservation facilities to reduce waste, protect earnings and make fresh produce last longer.
(NAN)
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