By FRED ITUAH, Abuja

The West African Students Union (WASU), an umbrella body of all student bodies in the ECOWAS sub-region, has issued a 30-day ultimatum to manufacturers of cement, especially in Nigeria, to crash prices of the product.

It said as a body saddled with the responsibility of protecting and advocating the right of students across the sub-region, it is also meant to play the role of being a conscious conscience in the sub-region.

President of the body, Mr. Romans Pillah, said the recent hike in the price of cement especially in Nigeria in comparison to other member state in the West African sub-region is unacceptable, as the outbreak of the Global Pandemic COVID-19 has negatively affected the global economy.

He said: “It is therefore expected that rather than increase the burden on the common masses at this trying economic times, there should be stability in the prices of essential commodities like Cement as it is an integral commodity in the development of infrastructures in developing nations like Nigeria and other West
African states.

“Considering the strategic position of Nigeria in Cement manufacturing vis-à-vis the abundance of limestone; it is therefore un-called for to have a hyper-inflation in the price of Cement.

“In view of the aforementioned, WASU hereby demand powerfully that price of Cement be reviewed to Status duo (N2,450 viz $5 per bag) with immediate effect so as to ameliorate the burden on the people.

“WASU is also demanding that cement distributors across the sub-region must,
with immediate effect comply with the above demand, as the present range of prices of cement in various parts of Nigeria is too outrageous.

“With a 30-day ultimatum from to all players in the cement supply value-chain to comply,
or have the Union to contend with. We call on ECOWAS to look into the need for efficient price control in the West African sub-region as regards to essential commodities and ensure unification of price within the sub-region.

“We wish to state the dare need of currency unification to ensure that economic stability within the sub-region. We therefore call on all student leaders in the sub-region to rise up to the defence of the poor masses.” (Sunday Sun)

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