Credit: Daily Post
Residents of Osun State are expressing frustration following a recent increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
On Wednesday, the NNPCL raised the price of PMS at its retail stations in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, from 897 naira per liter to 1,030 naira per liter. In Lagos State, the price increased from 868 naira to 998 naira. In some areas across the country, prices now exceed 1,200 naira per liter.
The new pricing has particularly upset residents of Osogbo, the state capital, where many fuel stations have adjusted their prices to 1,300 naira per liter. The increase has led to a sharp rise in the costs of food, transportation, and other essential goods.
Fuel queues, which had been diminishing, are reappearing at stations where PMS is available. The cost of commercial transportation in and around Osogbo has also surged, with local trips rising from 150 naira to 200 naira. At the Aregbe motor park, fares for the route between Osogbo and Ibadan have increased from 3,500 naira to 4,000 naira. Commuters traveling to Ondo, Ore, or Lagos now face fares ranging from 6,000 to 7,000 naira.
Health worker Onigbinde Blessing voiced her concerns, noting that commercial motorcyclists have raised their fares as well. “They now charge 200 naira for what used to cost 150 naira. This distance is walkable,” she said. “The administration is imposing severe hardship on Nigerians.”
Civil servant Alade Busayo criticized the federal government for what he sees as a deliberate attempt to make life difficult for citizens. “I have a car, but I haven’t been able to use it for six months,” he said. “I earn less than 80,000 naira, and my wife is a private school teacher making under 40,000 naira. I can’t spend 80% of my salary on fuel.”
Deborah Omolayo, a trader in frozen foods, reported that rising transportation costs are forcing her to raise prices. “In the last year, it’s been incredibly tough. I bought a keg of groundnut oil for 25,000 naira last week; now it’s over 29,000 naira,” she said. “The government needs to support the masses.”
Commercial motorcyclist Dare Ejidiran called for the resignation of NNPCL management if they cannot effectively address the situation. “President Bola Tinubu should expose those in the oil sector contributing to the hardship faced by Nigerians,” he stated, advocating for reforms to increase local participation in the downstream sector.
