How Buhari’s visit affected our sales – Lagos business owners lament
President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Lagos on Thursday led to the shutdown of many businesses.
Though Lagos residents had anticipated the president’s visit since it was announced, business owners could not hide their dissatisfaction that the visit was in no way favourable.
When Newsroom’s correspondent visited Computer Village shortly after Buhari commissioned the Ikeja Bus Terminal, all the shops in the bustling commercial area were shut.
A vendor, who was just arranging her shop when our correspondent arrived, lamented that the day’s sales were already affected.
The food vendor who only identified herself as Iya Ruka, said she usually opens her business for the day early in the morning.
She said her patronage occurs mostly in the early hours of the day.
She said, “Sometimes I would have sold everything I bring to the shop in the morning. You have a lot of people going to work. Most of them will either eat here or buy their meal and take it away so they won’t be stressed in their workplace before they eat.
“I couldn’t even cook as much as I should cook today because of my fears to make sales.”
A boutique owner in the area, Seyi Ososanya said he couldn’t open his shop as early as he should because of the president’s visit.
Ososanya lamented the president’s visit, saying that shouldn’t have hindered people from going about their daily businesses.
According to him, some people would starve if they didn’t go out in a day.
“I am not expecting much today after the president’s has visited,” he told us.
“Yoruba people will say ‘Aro loja’, which means sales comes in the morning. So whatever comes in later in the day may really not be as much as I would have made if I had the whole day to myself,” he added.
Another resident affected by the shutdown of activities, Tunde Olabode, a motorcyclist, lamented that the restriction of movements affected his daily savings.
“Is it not when people come out that you will work? That’s not even the issue here, but what about the blocked roads,” he lamented.
“I can’t even contribute my daily thrift today because I am not sure I can make the money expected.”
President Buhari has been engaged in a myriad of activities since his arrival in Lagos, but many Nigerians believed state governor Akinwunmi Ambode could have handled the situation better.
