Residents of Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State, have called on the state government, to as a matter of urgency, address the rising cost of sachet water in Jalingo metropolis.
The price, as of the time of filing this report, DAILY POST observed, has reached an unprecedented 50 Naira per sachet.
Some persons who bared their minds on the development, considered the price to be unfairly high, especially when compared to neighboring states like Adamawa and Gombe, where sachet water still sells for as low as 20 Naira or two for 50 Naira.
Frustrated by the development, the people are calling on the State government to investigate the practices of water distribution companies operating in the state.
They also suggested that the government should summon the chairman of the sachet water producers’ association for questioning.
“It is unfortunate that the activities of sachet water manufacturers, particularly in Jalingo, our state capital, have not been checked or regulated by the state government,” Musa Ahmadu lamented.
Citing the present high cost of living in the state and the country at large, Ahmadu, who could not fathom why the price of sachet water is on the increase in the state, urged the government to put in place relevant mechanisms that will discourage such acts.
Like Ahmadu, other residents who spoke with DAILY POST, stressed that the government should not permit a few individuals or companies to exploit the people of Jalingo.
However, some of the producers, who spoke to our reporter, blamed the development on the high cost of petroleum products, which they said led to the increase of price of materials.