Residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who were stranded at major roads in the territory have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to reverse the fuel price increase, maintaining that it would cause more suffering for the common man.
They also said President Tinubu does not feel the plights of Nigerians on the pains caused by the increase in per litre price of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly called petrol.
LEADERSHIP reports that commuters at various bus stops in Abuja, the nation’s capital were scrambling for commercial vehicles, who have also increased their fare by 100 per cent.
Some of the areas where commuters were stranded included Dutse Junction, Kubwa village bus stop, Berger Roundabout, Jabi Junction, Central Business District, Wuse Market and other areas in the territory.
One of the stranded residents at Dutse junction, Ogechi Patrick lamented that she could not board a taxi to work because of the 100 per cent increase in fare price.
“I think I will have to go back home because with what the drivers from Dutse are charging to Berger Roundabout, and what it will cost me to Area 3 where I work, the money on me will not be enough at all. That means I have to go back home.
“It is painful. I have been here since 7.30 am and it is already 9.45 am, but I have not seen the vehicle to take me to Berger which is now N1,500, as against N800, which it used to be. If I get to work, there is no way I will be able to come back home again because of a shortage of funds,” she said.
Another resident of the FCT, Dogo Yakubu expressed similar frustration having waited at Berger Bus Stop for hours to board a taxi to work, but no vehicle was available for him.
“The truth is that this government is completely insensitive to the plight of Nigerians. We have been lamenting the increase in foodstuff and many Nigerians are unable to feed, now the government has decided to punish us more. What have we done to deserve this?
“It is now obvious that the government does not care about the people. This government is insensitive for implementing another fuel price hike when we were thinking of how to survive the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy announcement,” he said.
The development followed the increase in pump price of petrol on Tuesday to N918 from N617 per litre by retail outlets of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) while other private filling stations are selling between N950 and N1000 per litre.