Scarcity of bread looms as bakers, caterers threaten 2 weeks strike

By Correspondent in Lokoja.

Master Bakers and Caterers Association of Nigeria(MBCAN), says it will embark on two weeks withdrawal of services to the public as from Wednesday, unless government intervenes on the operational challenges facing its members.

The Chairman, Kogi state chapter of the association, Chief Gabriel Bamidele Adeniyi, who disclosed this during a press briefing in Lokoja on Monday, said that members of the state branch were set to join the strike,if the national body gives go ahead.

He added that the proposed strike was sequel to series of challenges facing the association in the country wondering why government had not attended to it.

Chief Adeniyi identified the challenges to include; shortage of raw materials, increasing cost of materials, over taxation and levies as the bases for the planned industrial action.

He noted that since the ban on importation of flour into the country, no serious effort had been made for home grown wheat as promised by the government and its relevant agency, pointing finger at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.

He disclosed that whereas the association requested for Palliative in form of soft loans or subsidy to its member to enable members produce quality and affordable quantity of bread for mass consumption,all with no avail.

“These challenges facing the association are threatening production of affordable and quality bread in the country.

“Constant increase in the prices of baking materials, especially flour, sugar and other ingredients have led to souring costs, poor quality and great loss of customers and consumers consequently, closing down the industry.

“The commodity will,therefore, be off the streets, markets, shops and dinning tables, to drive home the points raised for necessary action by government.

Adeniyi expressed concern that if the strike becomes a reality,thousands of bakers and millions of their employees would be jobless, “marketers will also be affected, while millions of thousands of naira from the industry will be lost to smugglers and foreign bakers of bread.”

According to wikipedia,bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures’ diet.

Investigation by our Correspondent revealed that the least price of bread in Lokoja as at Monday was N120 per loaf while the highest price went for N700, showing about 50 per cent increase.

Some consumers of bread,an essential part of human history for many centuries, in their comments in separate interview with  our Correspondent at Ganaja junction, Lokoja called on the government to address the challenges confronting the association to stop the planned strike.

This,they argued, became necessary to check the likelihood effect of the scarcity of bread in homes.

Edited by Dada Ahmed.