As transportation costs continue to rise in Nigeria due to the recent hike in petrol prices, the situation remains a source of anxiety for millions of Nigerians, especially low income earners.
For many, the daily journey to work, school, or the market has become a huge financial burden.
The situation is even more dire for low-income households, who are already struggling to survive on meager earnings.
Public outcry has been growing, with many calling on the government to address the rising costs.
It is one of the reasons for the recent nationwide protests with the hashtag #EndBadGovernance.
Protests have also been held in major cities, with citizens demanding immediate action to reduce the cost of living.
Findings revealed that the increase in petrol price has driven up prices of essential goods and services, exacerbating financial hardships for many, especially the low income earners.
The price hike, which came into effect early last week, has seen petrol prices soar to a record high of between N850/litre and N1,400 per litre depending on the area, adding to the already mounting pressure on household budgets.
Due to the hardship this has caused Nigerian citizens, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Dioceses, Archbishop Matthew Kukah, urged President Bola Tinubu and the leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to take measures to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians and also reverse the petrol price hike.
He said, “I once asked a girl if she is in the APC, PDP, or Labour and she said ‘I am hungry.’ And so, since I am speaking to those who are in power, please know that we, Nigerians, are hungry.
“Find a way of reducing the price of fuel. Find a way of keeping our country secure. That will be the greatest legitimacy of any government.”
In the same vein, the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, also condemned the recent increase in the pump price of petrol and warned the federal government not to take Nigerians for granted.
The President-General of the forum, Yerima Shettima, in a statement criticised the hike in the pump price of petrol, noting that the government has lost touch with the reality of things in the country.
“The government urged Nigerians to refrain from protests with promises of improvement, only to exacerbate their struggles by unexpectedly raising petrol prices.
“For me, the federal government should have a rethink on the numerous challenges. President Bola Tinubu must allow Nigerians to breathe, because with the current state of affairs, angry and hungry Nigerians are being pushed to the wall, and the reaction of a hungry and angry person may be unimaginable,” he said.
Speaking to a news reporter, a cross-section of Nigerian low income earners lamented the hardship the hike in the price of petrol has caused them, appealing to the government to revert to the old price.
A sales representative, Amina Abubakar said, “I’m finding it difficult to balance my budget.
“The increase in petrol price has added to my transportation costs, and I’m struggling to afford necessities like food and rent.
“We expected so much from this government, but what we are seeing now is heartbreaking.”
Another FCT resident, Eche John, complained that he usually spent N800 to work but now spends N1500 since the announcement of the new fuel pump price.
He said, “This transport thing is something else. The truth of the matter is that salaries have not increased while many people are already losing their jobs.”
Another Abuja resident, Glory Adetunji, expressed concern about how the rise in fuel price has not only affected the cost of transportation but also started to drive up the cost of goods and commodities in general.
Ojetunde said, “The fuel price increase has already led to an increase in the price of goods.
“I bought a sachet of milk recently for N300 instead of N200 that it was sold initially before the fuel price increase.”
Another low income earner, Johnson Okpe, who is a Point of Sale, POS, attendant said the situation has deteriorated, adding that he may have to stop going to work for lack of transport fare which has just skyrocketed.
“I don’t know how I’ll manage to feed and still have money to spend on transportation.
“House rent is still there staring me in the face. If nothing is done to ease this hardship, hunger will kill everyone. I virtually spend my salary on transport fare.”
A sales girl, Chioma Eze who commutes from Mararaba to Wuse market in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria, said her transportation fare has gone more than double compared to how it was in the past year.
“I used to spend about N1000 on transport every day, but now it’s over N2000. It’s really getting out of hand.
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