Leading socio-cultural organizations in the country have warned the Nigerian government against possible consequences of the recent increase in Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, pump price, insisting that it should return to old price.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere, and Arewa Youths in separate chats with Newspot on Saturday said failure to revert to the old pump price would have grave consequences on both the government and the populace.
Newspot reports that Nigerians woke up on Tuesday to find an overwhelming increment in fuel pump price, rising from around the previous official N600 to over N855 per litre.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, blamed the petrol hike on market forces.
In some states, the product is currently sold as high as 1,400, worsening the country’s inflation.
The development has further worsened the nation’s economy, with prices of goods and services skyrocketing almost hourly.
Transportation
Most civil servants were stranded after retiring from work on Tuesday evening, as transportation fares jerked up across the nation within a few minutes after NNPCL announced the upward review.
Newspot reports that the fares increased by at least 50 percent in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Lagos and some other states amid the untoward hardship already bedeviling citizens.
Our correspondent observed that some intra-city movements that hitherto cost N1,000 have doubled to at least N2,000 owing to the new fuel pump price.
A commercial driver, Moses Jukun, said the fuel price increase has crippled their transportation business, lamenting that most commuters are unable to pay for the new fare.
Moses told Newspot that “the thing is not easy for us right now. It is not just about the passengers, we are actually struggling to make profits.
“When fuel was cheap, the transportation business was so lucrative because by the time you separate your fuel expenses from the total income, you will have enough to deposit in your savings account.
“Things are no longer the same. When I buy just a liter of fuel for N900, at the end of the day, I won’t make reasonable gains.
“Honestly, it is not funny anymore. Sometimes passengers will beg you with small money as if we bought the fuel cheap, but you can’t blame them. Most of them are not being paid well in their different jobs”.
Prices of commodities soar
As expected, our correspondent gathered on Saturday that prices of several products have already gone up in the market.
Recall that President of the Association of Small Business Organisations of Nigeria, ASBON, Femi Egbesola, had hinted that the hike in fuel price would definitely have negative impacts on prices of commodities.
Our correspondent, who was at the popular Bwari Market on Saturday, observed that prices of essential commodities, especially food items have gone up.
A boutique owner, Friday Johnson told Newspot that once his goods arrive from Onitsha on Monday, prices of items in his shop would jump up.
According to him, “I’m expecting my goods to arrive on Monday and for sure, the price can’t be the same.
“The goods I’m expecting right now, I bought the same thing just last two months and I didn’t spend up to a million naira but I can tell you that two million naira is gone already and the goods are not here yet.
“Definitely, I won’t bear the cost alone. We are all paying for the actions of the government. For now, I’m still selling the old stock with the normal price but that will end on Monday.”
Suffocation of Nigerians will have repercussions – Ohanaeze warns
In a chat with Newspot, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, factional Secretary General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo insisted that the government must reverse the pump price of the petroleum product, stressing that failure to do that would have grave consequences.
According to him, “suffocation of Nigerians will have repercussions if skyrocketing price of fuel is not reversed
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo insists on an immediate reversal of these petroleum prices, accompanied by a thorough inquiry resulting in the dismissal of those responsible for the enactment of such catastrophic policies.
“President Tinubu must summon his righteous resolve to act decisively in order to save Nigerians from this suffocating economic quagmire.
“The cries of a beleaguered populace resonating from every corner of the nation serve as a clarion call for accountability and change within the management of the NNPCL.
“An overhaul of the entire petroleum sector is a fundamental prerequisite if the presidency seeks to restore trust and earn the goodwill of Nigerians.
“Credible intelligence reports from all 774 Local Government Areas revealed a harrowing picture: average Nigerians are enduring profound pain, grappling with poverty, insecurity, and suffocating hardships associated with this new wave of fuel prices and widening fuel scarcity.
“The inevitable truth is that should the Federal Government delay in reversing these fuel prices, the repercussions will be exceedingly difficult to manage.
“President Tinubu must attentively listen to the cries of Nigerians and undertake the necessary actions to reverse the fuel price hikes, thus ensuring that prices are lowered to a more manageable level.
“It is incumbent upon the presidency to act swiftly; failure to do so could provide fertile ground for detractors to incite civil disobedience and widespread protests, potentially allowing opposition political parties to exploit this economic suffocation for their sinister motives.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo stands firmly in solidarity with the Nigerian people and earnestly implores the Federal Government to prioritize the resolution of this crisis. The time for action is now; for the very soul of our nation is at stake”.
Failure of NNPCL to reverse fuel price will rub off negatively on Tinubu’s policies – Afenifere
The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and socio-political organization, Afenifere’s spokesman, Jare Ajayi told Newspot that except the NNPCL reversed the old fuel pump price, the impact of some policies of the current administration would not be felt.
“Like we have said, it is the wrong time to come up with any policy that will increase the undesirable challenges Nigerians are going through presently.
“Failure by the NNPCL to reverse the latest increment in fuel price will rub off negatively on some policies of the Tinubu administration to ease things for the citizens. Policies such as the Students Loan Scheme and Consumer Credit Scheme that are just taking off.
“It is crucial, therefore, that the government order the corporation to reverse the price hike forthwith as it is already causing untold hardship for the people,” he told our correspondent.
Tinubu should address Nigerians – Arewa Youth lament poor communication by presidency
The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, called on President Bola Tinubu to bridge the communication gap between the presidency and Nigerians.
According to the AYCF President General, Yerima Shettima, some policies of the government, including the hike in fuel prices were not properly communicated, birthing anger and frustration.
He said, “I think what we are lacking is communication. The Federal government should summon courage and come out to tell us what is happening.
“Those with the responsibility to communicate with Nigerians about the activities of the government are not doing their jobs very well because of some of these things, the National Orientation Agency should come up and educate people.
“The truth of the matter is that we all know that Buhari’s eight years was really a mess, so for anyone to correct the errors of that regime, many things will go wrong.
“We are facing a hard time that we are probably not used to but when Buhari was doing all the rubbish, we folded our hands. We didn’t know the effects until after he left.
“President Tinubu should address Nigerians and tell us what is happening in NNPCL and also clarify the issues of subsidy”.
On a purported plan for a nationwide protest, Shettima said, “there is no need for any protest. The last one we had was not funny so anybody planning protests should just forget about it.”
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