Fuel price hike: Abia transporters, commuters groan; Lagos residents decry fare increase

By Ijendu Iheaka, Umuahia/Chiazo Ogbolu, Lagos,

Sept. 4, 2024

Transporters and commuters in Abia have expressed serious concern over the hike in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) announced a new pump price from N617 per liter to N897 per liter of PMS, with effect from September 3.

The development has also caused a consequential increase in transport fares and the price of goods.

Reacting to the development in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, some transporters and prospective travellers said the situation had become “highly unbearable” for average Nigerians.

A tricyclist in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia, Mr. Enyichi Nnadede, said that he would not have come out for work because of the high cost of fuel but for the lack of food for his household.

“Fuel is very costly now. We buy N1,200 a liter and it is hard for us to make any gains at the day’s toiling to feed our families.

He said: “The situation is becoming very unbearable for us. The petrol dealers are making matters worse.

“They sold petrol at N870 per litre yesterday but today (Wednesday), they are selling at N1, 200. What happened overnight?”

Another transporter in Umuahia, Mr. Agu Chukwuma, said he bought fuel on Wednesday at N1,100 per liter.

Chukwuma also said that the situation was adversely affecting his transport business, adding that he was making little or no gain.

“Some of us doing this business do not have any other thing to do.

“The government is pushing Nigerians too far. It is high time they stopped these harsh economic policies,” he said.

A commuter in Aba, Adiele Chinaza, pleaded with the government to discontinue with its policies that make life unbearable for citizens.

“I commute from my base in Aba to Umuahia for work every working day.

“Most Abia civil servants work from their villages, but now that transport fares have gone up so much, it will be very difficult for us to meet up.

“The painful aspect is that whatever a civil servant earns will not be enough with the family even with N70,000 as minimum wage,” Chinaza said.

An Umuahia resident, Onyinyechi Ekwonye, said that the hike in transport fares, arising from fuel price increase, would have immediate and negative impact on the prices of goods and services in the country.

“We don’t know what to make out of this situation. Government is hurting us; transporters and traders are hurting us.

“We are tired of this unending economic hardship.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress should stop the hard policies of the Federal Government, it is becoming too unbearable,” Ekwonye said.

Meanwhile, some Lagos residents on Wednesday decried the increase in transport fares due to increase in the pump price of petrol by the NNPCL.

Some of those who spoke to NAN on Wednesday, described the current fuel situation  in Nigeria as biting, saying that it had affected transport.

A businesswoman, Mrs. Beatrice Okonkwo, said that the increase had become frustrating to low income earners.

“Today, I stepped out to get to my child’s school, and I noticed an increase in transport fare.

“From Gate to Cele Bus Stop, which used to be N200, is now N300, and from Ijesha to Yaba, which was N200 by tricycle, is now N400.

“Drivers are even saying they would further increase the fares to be able to recoup money they spent on fueling,” she said.

She appealed to the Federal Government  to do more to alleviate the sufferings of the citizens.

A civil servant, who wants to be identified simply as Modinot, urged  the government to address the fuel situation urgently.

According to Modinot, transport fare from Ipaja to Costain through Oshodi increased from N1,000 to N1,700 on Wednesday.

Modinot regretted that workers were facing the increase although they had yet to be paid the new minimum wage.

“Government should listen to our cries,” Modinot said.

A banker, Mrs. Tope Okunola,  told NAN that commercial motorcyclists and tricyclists also increased their charges.

She said that commuters had always suffered from any increase in petrol price.

“We are not finding it funny at all. Before, in my area, Festac Town, I paid N200 to the next  junction, but today it cost N300.

“As transport fare goes up, so will food stuffs prices in the markets.

“The ordinary person cannot eat again.

“Government should really address the situation fast,” she said.