The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ado-Ekiti Branch has launched a market to sell foodstuffs and other essential items to its members at discounted prices.
The initiative, dubbed the “Lawyers Market,” operated between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM on Saturday at the Afe Babalola Bar Centre within the premises of the Ekiti State High Court in Ado-Ekiti. The market attracted a large turnout as lawyers flocked to purchase various staple food items.
Items available for sale included garri, rice, beans, vegetable oil, spaghetti, Semovita, and other essentials. The discounts provided significant relief to the lawyers, with a measure of garri typically worth N1,200 sold for N500, a measure of rice worth N3,000 sold for N1,500, and a litre of vegetable oil worth N2,400 sold for N1,200.
Similarly, a measure of beans worth N3,000 was sold for N1,500, 1KG of Semovita worth N2,000 was sold for N1,000, a crate of eggs worth N2,500 was sold at N1,250, and spaghetti was sold at N500 per pack.
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The market was managed by the association’s Welfare Secretary, Mrs. Khadeejah Adeniyi, and Social Secretary, Emmanuella Akinyemi, with Uzoma Aremu-Adetayo, the Financial Secretary, overseeing payment.
The Chairman of the NBA Ado-Ekiti Branch, Taiwo Omidoyin, explained that the initiative was designed to alleviate the impact of the rising cost of living on members of the branch. He noted that the food market offered a 50% discount on food items, providing much-needed financial relief amid the persistent hike in commodity prices.
He further explained that there was a limit to the value of items members could purchase, and only financial members of the branch were eligible to shop at the market.
“The leadership of the branch is aware of the current hardship in the country and its effect on everyone, including our members.
This initiative was conceived to help mitigate the harsh economic situation in our own little way,” Omidoyin said. “While we may not be able to do so much at the moment, the branch purchased food items from the markets and sold them to financial members at a subsidized price of 50% off public market rates. That means items sold for N10,000 in the public market would be sold at N5,000 in the Lawyers Market.”
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Bolanle Ojo, praised the initiative, stating that the 50% discounts on food items would help cushion the effects of the ongoing economic hardship.
