Motorists, Commuters Groan Over Fuel Price Hike In Calabar

Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), which was sold for N600 per liter, in Calabar metropolis, has now skyrocketed to N1000 per litre.

The price hike caused motorists and travellers to groan over the sudden changed of price of the product at pump price.

The hike followed president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s announcement of fuel subsidy removal during his inaugural speech on May 29.

Shortly after Mr. President’s speech, members of independent petroleum marketers IPMAN operating in Calabar metropolis hurriedly shut down their petrol stations anticipating massive windfall.

The product which was sold at almost all the filling stations operating in capital city two days ago before before inauguration at N200 suddenly took a dramatic turn with the black market boys taking over the market selling at some strategic places within the metropolis as of Tuesday.

Walking through the streets of Calabar, our correspondent observed many stations had been shut down, due to the president’s announcement that fuel subsidy is gone.

Most students and workers are seen trekking to and fro to work, with others who had chosen to stay indoors due to lack of product and hike in transportation fare.

Expressing disappointment a student of Cross Rivers State University of Technology (CRUTECH), Whitney Bassey said she is so angry with the development as the scarcity has paved way for increased economic hardship.

Bassey said, “I reside at Orok Orok street and usually spend N200 naira to school on a daily basis.

“This morning to my greatest surprise, a driver asked me to pay extra N200 to school and since I cannot afford that, I have to stay at home.

“The sudden increase in the fare will disrupt my plan for the semester so I have to skip school for some days so I can meet up”, Bassey maintained.

In his earlier remarks, a public servant Edem Peters while narrating his ordeal, complained bitterly about the development and called on the new administiion to find a way and get the situation addressed.

Peter stated that the minimum wage paid by government is not just a joke but a mockery on people who are working for government.

“As you can see, due to the new policy of government, transport fare across the metropolis have doubled over night.

“How do you expect us to make ends meet when things continue getting this bad. Our salaries have been fixed for over a decade now yet prices of commodities have been increasing unabating.

“Government is supposed to review these wages as the economy worsens because we are bearing the burnt but this is not the case.

“Our salaries can barely take us home and if you have to pay N800 daily on transportation you can imagine what it amounts to at the end of every month”, Peter stated.

Ikpi Onen, a commercial driver said the reason why they have to double their fares stated that is simply to prevent their businesses from packing up.