By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Again, Abuja residents are groaning under the heavy weight of cost of energy as the latest pump price hike by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Limited (NNPCL) on Tuesday has triggered increase in transport fares in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
This is even as the long queues which have been witnessed in the seat of government have grown longer across the city with anxiety being the lot of the residents.
Prompt News reports that the state-owned oil company had on Tuesday morning issued a statement informing the public of the increase in the pump price. The message read: “Good morning all. This is to inform you that NNPC Retail Management has approved an upward review of PMS pump price from N617/litre to N897/litre effective today, 3rd September 2024.
“Please, ensure all your pumps and totems (price boards)/MIDs reflect the new PMS price of N897/liter. Thank you.”
But the above statement from the NNPCL has since triggered a ripple effects as commercial drivers have also increased their fares by charging passengers more than they paid yesterday.
For example, a taxi ride from Kuje suburb to Lugbe which was N300.00 per trip now cost N1,000.00 for one-way while passengers now pay N500.00 fare from Lugbe to Area 1 in Garki, FCT.
Also passengers are being charged N1, 000.00 from Area 1 to Maraba- Nyan Nyan while bus rides on the same route have increased from N500.00 to N700.00 per trip.
The situation was the same across the FCT as transporters have increased their fares to reflect the pump price hike announced by the NNPCL on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the fuel queues at the petrol stations in FCT has got worse even in the face of the pump price hike which ordinarily would have reduced the long queues at the filling stations.
For example, long queues were witnessed in FCT especially at few petrol stations that still had the products like A.A Rano, Shema and NIPCO filling stations located on Airport Road, Abuja as well as at major marketers outlets like Mobile, Ondo and TotalEnergies.
Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulaziz, an Abuja residents decried the increase in pump price by the NNPCL calling it insensitive to the plight of ordinary citizens of Nigeria in the face of the worsening living conditions of Nigerians.
Said he: “I can’t believe that Nigerians will be made to pay the price of bad governance and mismanaged economy. How on earth can the NNPCL wake up one morning to increase the price of fuel again when Nigerians are still demanding for the reduction of the N617 per litre former price”.
According to Abdulaziz, the living situation in the country is becoming too unbearable for ordinary people as the new fuel price will come with its ripple effects which will people’s lives miserable.
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