The Block and Concrete Producers Association, Enugu State chapter, has decried the continuous increase in the prices of cement and other materials used for block production.
The President, Oriental Block and Concrete Producers Association, Enugu State, Igwe Paulinus Ukaegbu, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Enugu.
Ukaegbu lamented that the continuous rise in cement price was negatively affecting the production output of and income of members of the association.
He urged the Federal Government to intervene in the situation by granting more licences to industrialists to produce cement.
According to him, this will bring down the price of cement in the market because the monopoly being enjoyed by the few current producers will be broken.
While admitting that the current brands of cement were good, Ukaegbu accused the manufacturers of increasing the prices of their products without considering its effect on members of the association as well as builders.
He said, “The challenge we have is the cost of cement, and even sand. Everything is now costly.
“We are not making sales as we used to; so, we are suffering. We are praying for the government to help us by bringing down the price of cement and other materials.
“Before, one could sell 3,000 to 5,000 pieces of block in a month; but now, before you sell 1,000 pieces of block, it is very difficult.
“The cost of cement in Enugu now is N4,550 per bag. Some people are selling for N5,000.
“We mainly use Dangote Cement’s Block Master. If we do not see Block Master, we use 3X.
“Block Master is the best for moulding blocks, followed by 3X. Lafarge is also okay.
“During the time of Ibeto Cement, the price was down. After the company stopped the cement business, the price of every brand of cement went up.
“We are praying that the man (Ibeto) will be allowed to come back into the business.”
Ukaegbu also debunked insinuations that members of the association were involved in the production of substandard blocks.
He noted that blocks produced by members of the body were always inspected by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.
Ukaegbu appealed for patronage from members of the public, adding that he would ensure that members of the association maintain quality in all their block production.
