13-year Old Urges Wike To Regulate Price Of Bottle Water

Hawkers of sachet water popularly known as pure water in some part of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital have decried displacement in business by bottle water sellers which they say has resulted to very low patronage.
While most of the hawkers claimed to have totally been shut out of business, stating that for a whole day they make far below their usual sales, others said they toiled a whole day with nothing to show for.
According to a 13 year sachet water hawker, sachet water business had gone bad resulting from the production of varieties of bottle water whose prices are less than the usual 100 naira.
Emeka who was spotted by TNN at Rumuodara junction in Port Harcourt, sitting in front of a popular kiddies shop said in pidgin English; “Sister, market bad, pure water now na bad market, since 2 O’clock wey I carry water come out na only 30 naira I don sell, since 2 O’clock, for this hot sun wey dey hammer me like hell fire, just 30, 30 naira.
“Me, I no understand Nigeria again, I no understand this country at all, money no dey, money no dey, even poor man dey buy bottle water, eh no good, as keke pursue taxi comot from business na so bottle water don push us comot from business.
“Abeg, make governor Wike help us, make bottle water become 100 naira like before, so people go dey buy pure water wey be 10 naira and dey bellyful pass bottle water, see, only one 10 naira pure water dey full that bottle water, so waitin them dey drink sef?”
The junior secondary class 2 pupil in a government owned school who refused to give the name of his school noted that he hawks every day after school.
According to him, “My father use to ride (sic) taxi at Rumuodara here but he has stopped. He said to carry (sic) passengers is always very difficult and after the taxi spoilt he said there is no money so he parked the taxi. My mother sell (sic) food in the morning, me, I sell pure water to help her.”
Emeka who appealed to passersby to patronize sachet water, which he said is done out of poverty also called on government to regulate the cost of bottle water.
Again, another hawker who happens to be a woman in her early 50s told TNN that sachet water business has become very frustrating.
According to the woman who gave her name simply as madam Mary said “before, we dey sell well, well but now, eh no be so. Before, I dey sell three, four bags for one day, once I come out, I go sell go carry again but now nothing at all, na so eh be for now.”