By JOY ODIGIE

The Association of Master Bakers and Caterers in Nigeria, Edo Chapter, says it will participate in the proposed nationwide withdrawal of service as directed by its national body.

Mr. Benjamin Agbonze, Chairman of the association in Edo, disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Wednesday, shortly after the association’s monthly meeting.

Agbonze said the withdrawal of service was necessitated by the incessant increment in the prices of baking materials in the country.

“Our national body has directed that on July 13 to 27, we should withdraw our services in order to rearrange ourselves to meet up with the current economic realities.

“A bag of flour that was sold for about N21,000 in the month of January this year has gone up to about N30,000; we are not making profit with the continued increment in the cost of materials used in the baking business.

“The national body has resolved that we cannot continue to increase the price of bread, so we are calling on the government across board to intervene.

“We want the government to help reduce the tariff on baking materials and also give flour millers easy access to foreign exchange.

“People are already looking for an alternative to bread and if we continue to increase prices of bread based on continued hike in production materials, we will go out of business.”

The national body of the association, during its National Executive Council meeting in June, issued a directive to its units in the country to embark on two weeks withdrawal of service starting from July 13. (NAN)