Motorists and consumers have condemned the sudden increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit, (PMS) otherwise known as petrol, to N617 in Abuja.
A visit by New Telegraph to the NNPC filling station along Kubwa expressway have confirmed the increase from N539 to N617 per Litre.
It was also noticed that other filling stations as at the time of filling this report have shut their gates to consumers causing motorists, cyclists and other petrol users to queue at the NNPC filling stations to get petrol.
As a result, the price of transportation in the nation’s capital has once again been jerked up leaving some person’s stranded and unable to access their places of work as some residents were seen pleading with private car owners who currently run as commercial drivers to alleviate the huge cost of fuelling their cars, to beat down the amount being demanded.
An official with the NNPCL who declined mention on print, noted that Nigerians should understand that the prices could increase or decrease at any point in time due to market forces, adding that the product was deregulated.
Also, an official with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) who also declined mention in print, explained that current market realities where responsible for the new price, even as he added that with the removal of subsidy, the agency, state or non- state bodies no longer have the right to regulate the prices of petrol in the country.
According to him, the prices of petrol would now be determined by market forces such as Foreign Exchange, Global Crude Price, Cost of Sea Transportation and Handling , Import Charges, Margin (importers), Logistics (ln land) and Margin of distributors and retailers, as was the case in every other deregulated commodity.
He noted that “In an ideal situation, it’s practically impossible for petrol price to be fixed even for one week. The reality before us is that the price will fluctuate from time to time. It can be below or above your expectations just like every other commodity in the market, BUT it can never be fixed.”
While adding that the Authority would remain mum if the pricing either reviewed upward or downward was inorder, he disclosed that NMDPRA constantly monitors the international market to know how much oil products go for, how much was shipping, insurance, storage, diathermy etc.
“We do our own pricing and compare with whatever is out there. We are mum when everything is in order.”
Nigerians who wasted no time in condemning the new development, have been placing curses on the Federal Government for being insensitive to their plight as they struggle to come to terms with the removal of petrol subsidy which not only skyrocketed the pump price of fuel, but had resulted in a massive increase in the cost of goods and services.
Callistus Nnah said: “I still bought yesterday evening at a little above 500 so which one is N617 all of a sudden? This government is heartless, mean and devilish! They care less about what the masses are passing through
“At first I thought it was a lie until I got here and heard it’s true. It’s really unfortunate we need to keep going through this.”
Joyce Abakpa on her part noted, “We are struggling to survive in Nigeria. Tinubu and his government can not just do this to Nigerians except if he is trying to use hot iron on us for refusing to vote for him.
“The suffering is too much, Nigerians are not finding survival funny. Have you been to the market lately? Can you see how expensive everything has suddenly become? How much are we earning? Those who are jobless how are they surviving? Those of us who have dependants all over the place how does this government expect us to cope?
“This is pure wickedness. We are too a patient a people but we don’t deserve this. Please President Tinubu, make life easy for us, we can’t buy talk more of eating ur agbado with all these hardship you are throwing at us.”
Kingsley Okeke who was forced to reschedule his movement said: “Before now, I pay N50 from my house to NNPC junction, with removal of subsidy it was increased to N150, this morning most of the okada I stopped insisted on 250. On getting to the bus stop, I was made to understand to banex junction is N600.
“I didn’t see a point going to town anymore because I might end up spending N3h,000 if not more. So what I was going to db can wait.”
Ella Olaroye who urged Nigerians to “just do some mental calculations and embrace the harsh realities,” added “japa is the key to all these over night suffering Nigerians are being subjected to.”
A motor cycle operator, Abubakar Suleiman, noted that he had to increase how much he charges due to the high cost of fuel.
Speaking in spattered English he said: “Fuel is expensive. Total filling station is shut, the queue at NNPC is too long so I had to buy black market at N850 per litre. It’s hard for everybody, it’s government’s fault not my fault.”
