From Mustapha Adamu, Kano
Barely one week after they called of a three-day warning strike, Gurasa Bakers Association of Kano state has threatened to embark on indefinite strike if the price of flour is not reduced.
Peoples Daily reported that Gurasa is a Kano indigenous local bread made up of flour that serves as one of the delicacies used by Hausa people in the state.
The association, through its Chairperson, Fatima Auwalu, yesterday said nothing has changed since they called off the warning strike, prompting them to embark on indefinite industrial action until authorities and stakeholders do the needful.
According to Mrs Auwalu, all Gurasa bakers in the state are counting losses due to the recurring increase in the price of flour, which is the major ingredient for making the local snacks.
The Chairperson pointed out that not long ago, the price of flour was N9,500 but now it has reached N16,200.
She also lamented that a part from the increase in the price of flour, the quality of the product has been reduced, saying, “this has negatively impacted our business.”
“Since calling off the warning strike, we thought the price would reduce, but to our dismay, the price is rather going up day by day.
“ The three-day strike had inflicted hardship on us and our customers, but we could not do anything to resolve this problem but to take industrial action in order to draw the attention of the authorities concerned to bring lasting solution to the problem.
Mrs Auwalu disclosed that the association had decided to call off the strike because of the intervention of the Kano state Commissioner of Police and Human right organizations.
She therefore called on the manufacturers of flour and other stakeholders to consider their plight and bring down the price of the commodity in order to ease their business.
“We normally use IRS flour, Golden Confectionery and Super Flour. These are the only three brands that we used always. But we’re in a difficult situation because our business has become the shadow of its former self due to the hike on the price of the flour.
“ Let me use this opportunity to call on these company and authorities concerned to come to our aide,” she appealed.
Another Gurasa baker, Usaina Adamu said they had been forced to embark on the indefinite strike due to the fact that their warning action did not yield desired results.
According to her, the bakers had decided to go on the strike in order to bring the attention of the stakeholders to control the price of the flour, noting that but their action did not change the situation.
“We don’t know where the problem is. We called on the stakeholders to do the needful in a bid to control the situation but it is rather deteriorating.
“ We therefore call on Abdussamad to intervene and bring solution to this problem. We also called on the management of IRS flour to come to our aide,” she appealed.
On his part, Umar Badamasi, who is the Vice Chairman of Gurasa Sellers Association, expressed surprise on how the price of flour is raising day in day out.
He however blamed the dealers of the product of arbitrarily increasing the price of flour.
“The dealers are between us and the main manufacturers of flour. I suspect that the manufacturers are not their fault.
“ We call on stakeholders, the Manufacturers such as BUA, IRS, Super and other manufacturers to investigate this matter and provide solution. They should also warn those dealers whole we suspect are increasing the price whole they get the commodity at cheaper rare from the manufacturers.
