Soft drinks, ice cream record high sales at rallies

Hawkers utilizing the opportunity

As the protest against the removal of fuel subsidy entered its third day on Wednesday, soft drink and ice cream vendors made a lot of money in Lagos and Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. Protesters patronised such items in high numbers to quench their thirst.

Also, bottled water, snacks and newspapers were among the most sought-after items on the rally grounds.

Some of the traders told one of our correspondents at the Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota, Lagos, that sales during the protest had increased as much as 400 per cent, when compared to what they sold before the protest.

A soft drinks vendor, Opeyemi Adesina, said, “You don’t get this kind of crowd every day. What do you expect? They need to take water and soft drinks. That’s why we are very important to this protest. Without us, this protest may not last.

“Some days when sales are good, I realise as much as N3,500 but since Monday, I have been making between N10,000 and N15,000 everyday.”

Another vendor, who simply identified herself as Simi, sells sausage rolls and soft drinks. She said she made as much as N14,000 everyday since the protest started.

“I used to sell soft drinks by the road sides before the protest started, but I don’t have to go anywhere now. The only thing I need to do is rove among the crowd. I cannot really tell you the exact amount I make everyday, but I get four times the sales I used to get in the past,” Simi said.

Twelve-year-old Johnson, a hawker of soft drinks and water, said he had to restock every one hour because he always sold out.

It was also noticed that beer business boomed. Many stands could be seen with different can beer brands and spirits. Some of the protesters clutched cans of beer while some smoke Indian hemp.

The protest had turned to a sort of carnival as the protesters devised more interesting ways to protest and have fun.

The protesters had formed different smaller groups and devised unique ways of protesting. A group of three protesters were seen parading around in a trance-like manner. The leader held a calabash containing items prepared as a sort of sacrifice.

Another group of protesters paraded with a kid (young goat), which was named Jonathan. They chanted and beat the kid, saying they were beating the President.

A man decided to climb a dilapidated electric pole while people gathered to watch. Even though his action was seen by many as suicidal, the crowd were entertained as he tied a flag of the Nigeria Labour Congress the top of the pole and danced.

A ram was seen at a part of the protest ground with a big placard on its neck displaying the message, “No Subsidy, Jonathan Must Go.”

Wasiu Yusuf, the handler and owner of the three-year-old ram said, “His name is Fineboy. He is here to protest the rise in his food. I used to buy a bag of wheat for N2,000 but since the price of petrol was increased, I now buy it for N3,000.

“Even the price of Arawa (processed grass feed) has increased from N3,000 to N4,500. Am I now supposed to sell Fineboy or kill it for food? It is my source of livelihood. I used it for ram fights.”

Culled from Punch Newspaper