Coronavirus: Price of Hand Sanitizer jumps from N1,000 to N19,950.
A lady, Farida Ladipo Ajayi has taken to facebook page to narrate her experience after she was debited 19,950 by a pharmaceutical store in Lagos hours after the Federal Government announced the first case of coronavirus in Nigeria.
The angry lady lashed out at Medmark who she said took advantage of the unfortunate news to rip off panic stricken customers. Normally, the price of alcohol-based hand sanitizer is between #950 – #19,990 Naira.
The store which she said is located at Adekunle Osomo street, Soluyi, Gbagada in Lagos State took advantage of her ignorance to rip her off as her money was debited by her bank after she had left the store.
Although, she said she returned to the store to complain about the deduction and she was told in a brazen manner that the hand sanitizer was being sold for that amount.
It would be recalled that on Thursday, most stores in Lagos ran out stock following demands for face masks and hand sanitizer to combat the new coronavirus in Lagos.
A hand sanitizer sold at an average prize of 1,000 naira was jacked up as demands increased in Lagosians quest to prevent contracting the viral infection which has spread to all the continents of the world apart from the Antarctica.
Chairman of Consumer Protection Agency reacts..
This sad event caught the attention of the chairman of Consumer Protection Commission (CPC), Dr Tunde Irekure, who matched to Medmart Pharmacy and Supermarket to warn the management to stop extorting Nigerians or face disciplinary actions. In his words
“Spot check on Medmark chemist Gbagada, high price, useful enforcement discoveries. Secured info about supply chain & price history. Promised to modify behavior & we’ll go after supplier who is gouging. Investigation shows price from N395 to N4500 in 1 day! One down, so much more to go.
Nothing compares to citizens’ vigilance and action. Able to make a regulatory stop at a pharmacy within hours of a tweet of price gouging. Can’t make it to everyone, but making it at all addresses one location & deters many others. Demand & Insist always.”
Meanwhile, the price of a pack of pack of facemask containing 50 pieces have also jumped from #500 to around #5,000 – #10,000 Naira.
Thank God everything finally went down, else more than half of the Nigerian population would have been infected