Abuja motorists, commuters groan over fuel price hike, scarcity, knock Tinubu

Motorists and commuters have lamented the excruciating hardship occasioned by the recent increase in fuel pump price as well as its unavailability in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

By Chimezie Godfrey

Motorists and commuters have lamented the excruciating hardship occasioned by the recent increase in fuel pump price as well as its unavailability in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Recall that of recent there has been an increase in the pump price of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as fuel. The NNPCL also admitted being over burdened by the cost of subsidizing the product, among other factors that has aggravated the increase in the price of petrol in the country.

In the FCT, the case is said to be extremely difficult as there are literally few vehicles plying the roads. Filling stations across the city as well as the suburbs are barricaded by unusually long queues by vehicles and motorists waiting to refill their tanks. Also commuters are not left out in the difficult situation as many were stranded due to scarcity of vehicles and also astronomical increase in the price of transportation. Commuters lamented trekking long distances away from their destinations to cover up for the high cost of transportation, among other encumbrances.

Speaking to a motorist at the NNPC Filling Station at Berger, Wuse, Abuja, Mr Jamilo Alao lamented high cost of petrol which he said was at about 870 per litre amidst scarcity of the product.

Alao complained that he had been in long queue since 12:00 mid-night and that as at the report time he was yet to buy petrol, adding that the situation has become hopeless as the filling station had not started selling.

He blamed the prevailing hardship on President Bola Tinubu for not taking the plights of the citizens seriously. While he commended former President Goodluck Jonathan for being a listening leader during his time, he lampooned President Tinubu for hardening his heart against the citizens.

Alao called on President Tinubu to address Nigerians on the current state of the economy and the way forward.

He said,”The situation is really hard, am not happy, everything is hard, the price of fuel is high, things are not going well, I have been here since around 12: 00am last night, I have never seen fuel to buy. They have not start selling fuel, and I don’t know what to do.

“They should give us what (Price of fuel) we use to have before that we were managing because things are very difficult, even passengers are using leg to go to work because they cannot pay for transport. Somebody who is receiving N40,000 per month how will he cope paying N500 from here to Jabi?

“Some are now selling fuel per litre N940, some sell N950 but NNPC is selling N870 per litre, that is why there is queue in NNPC, and the queue is not moving, because they have not start selling, I don’t know what is happening.

“What I want to tell Nigerian government is that, please, they should help us, because things are not easy. Look at September now our children will resume school, and the fuel price is very high, I don’t know what is causing this thing. They should help us to bring down the price of commodities and cost of living, that is what we are begging them to do.

“They should reduce the price fuel to what we were buying last week. NNPC was selling N617 per litre that was what NNPC was selling.They should leave it like that so people can manage it like that.

“They said refinery will start working, and Tinubu told us that we should give him more time, only for them to add money to fuel, if there is anything let him (Tinubu) come out and tell us, let people hear it. People are not happy, they are not happy.

“Tinubu should come out and tell us what is happening, during Jonathan’s time he came out to talk to Nigerians. But this one nobody is coming out to talk to us. Please am begging Tinubu, am begging him, let things come back to normal.”

Another motorist on thesame queue, Mr Emmanuel Okon who was apathetic about discussing the prevalent economic hardship expressed pessimism about the situation saying that the leadership of the country would only pay lip service and would do nothing to address the ugly situation.

He said,”I don’t have anything to say again oo, because nothing government will do. We have refineries and they are not working so what are we expecting again . So we know that everybody are suffering, transport and everything are high. Not only that the fuel is costly but to even see it and buy is a problem.

“I was thinking if Dangote refinery start working the price of fuel will go down to atleast less than N400 per litre, so, this one they said that even the price will be up to N600 and above , so what is the difference?

On his what Tinubu and the federal government should do to address the situation, Okon said,”Tinubu himself know, they know people are suffering, was it not after they increased fuel that the price of everything started increasing, so is for our refineries to work, that is it.

“And I don’t even believe that our refineries will work because they and NNPC are playing politics with it. They don’t want it to work so that they still import and make their gain.

A commuter who came from the Mararaba axis, Mr Peter Okpe expressed sadness and frustration over the high cost of transportation.

According to him, he payed N800 in a coaster bus that was usually N400 from Mararaba to Berger Bus stop at Wuse.

Mr Okpe blamed President Tinubu for putting Nigerians through the grueling economic hardship, adding that the unpleasant situation in the country was as a result of the unceremonious removal of the fuel subsidy by the president.

He pointed out that Mr President should have had a thought out plan on how to cushion the negative economic impact before he removed the fuel subsidy.

He called on the federal government to as a matter of urgency come to the aide of suffering Nigerians, as he prayed to God for divine help out of the disturbing situation.