Enugu, March 6, 2019 (NAN) Some fish sellers in Enugu metropolis are making brisk businesses as Christians all over the world observe Ash Wednesday to usher in the 40 days Lenten period.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some Christian denominations abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesdays as an act of penance to repent from sin.
Some fish sellers, who spoke to NAN in Enugu on Wednesday, said that the fish business started recording high patronage from Tuesday, the eve of Ash Wednesday.
A fish pond owner, Mr Augustine Ibe, said he made huge sales from the eve of Ash Wednesday, even when the prices did not change.
“The price of the fish, dried or fresh depends on their sizes. A kilo of the catfish cost N1,000 while the largest size of catfish cost between N3,000 and N5,000 per kilo.
Mrs Josephine Okwu, an ice fish seller at Garki Market, who confirmed the boom in fish retail outlets, said she was going for her second carton of the fish.
Okwu said that a carton of big size of ice fish, weighing 30kg cost between N18, 000 and N19, 000 while one ice fish depending on the size, could be sold for between N350 and N600.
She added that the 20 kilos of the same fish goes for N12, 500.
“We are always prepared for this day because it comes annually and it is an opportunity for us to make good sales and be happy at the end of the day,” she said.
Meanwhile, some meat sellers told NAN that the patronage in meat business was low due to Ash Wednesday.
Mr Okechukwu Ozo, a meat seller at Mayor Market, Enugu, said that meat patronage was low due to Ash Wednesday.
Ozo said that Enugu residents who are mostly Christians and dominated by Catholics and Anglicans were passionate about Ash Wednesday.
“Majority of the Enugu residents are Catholics and Anglicans, they are zealous about Ash Wednesday. We cannot sell as usual but we sell in small quantity,” Ozo said.
At Mayor Market, another meat seller, Mr Chika Eze said he was not expecting high patronage, as after the Ash Wednesday, meat sales would pick up as usual.
“For me, today is just like a Sunday when business is dull, as you can see, most of the meat sellers are not having much on their table and customers are not coming as they should,” he said. (NAN)
