Petrol Subsidy: Enugu residents lament increase in transportation fares

By Maureen Ojinaka

A cross section of residents of Enugu metropolis, on Wednesday, bemoaned the increase in transportation fares as fuel stations hiked the pump prices of petrol following the official increase in prices.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that queues had resurfaced across petrol stations in the state immediately the subsidy removal announcement was made.

Some of the residents, who spoke to NAN, called on the government to, as a matter of urgency, to reverse the announcement over the removal of subsidy on the petroleum products to avert high cost of goods and services in the country.

Mrs Hope Onyekachi, a resident of Amechi Road, said she could not believe that the transportation fare could increase so suddenly.

She said the new policy caught her unawares and had made it difficult for her to attend programmes she earlier planned for aside her official duties.

“I paid N350 to get to New Heaven junction as against its previous price of N250, this time around, one has to plan well and manage the little money he or she has to avoid embarrassment,” she said.

Mr Sunday Okwu, a court clerk, said he paid N300 to get to his office in the morning as against N250, adding that on his way home he paid N350 from WAEC bus stop to Garki.

According to him, it will lead to frustration among Nigerians and it is not a good omen.

Another residents, a tailor in Achara Layout, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that poor Nigerians would be seriously affected because once the price of petrol increases, the price of every thing would go up in the market.

A teacher, Miss Ogor Chigbo, said she was angry after she waited for for so long at the bus stop thinking she would get a tricycle to Holy Ghost with the usual price of N200 but she ended up paying N250.

“I am joining millions of Nigerians to call on the new government to have a rethink on the fuel subsidy removal and as well reverse it to its previous price,” she pleaded.

Mr Festus Orji, a driver at Onitsha South Park, Enugu, told NAN that the transportation fare to Onitsha from Enugu now goes for N4,000 as against N3,000 before the subsidy removal announcement.

Orji said that the increase in petrol pump price had necessitated the increase on the price of the transportation fare.

He noted that following the announcement, many filling station owners in the state locked up their stations while those that opened sold between N500 and N600.

NAN observed that the price of petrol had remained relatively stable at N270 per litre, but no it had risen by 100 per cent from N270 per litre to between N500 and N600.

(NAN)