Fuel: PH Residents Call For Price Slash

Residents of Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, have called on the Federal Government to reduce the price of fuel currently selling at N141.00 per litre  to at least N!00.00, to ease the burden inflicted on the ordinary man by the subsidy removal.

Speaking in an interview with The Tide, a taxi cab driver, Mr Ngozi Shedrack said most Nigerians are groaning with pain resulting from, the increase in pump price of fuel which has adversely affected other essential needs and services including house rents.

Shedrack argued that as a driver, “even if we collect N100 per drop as against the N50 it was from Ikoku to Waterlines from the poor passengers, we will go and spend more on other things” and called on President Goodluck Jonathan to have a rethink and reverse the current fuel price to N100 per litre in the interest of the electorate that voted him to power.

A bus driver who also spoke to The Tide said: “I am not happy to see fuel price going from N65.00 to N141.00 per litre in a civilised country like Nigeria where petroleum products are being produced. If we are importing our product, how will it look like tomorrow”.

Mr Usoro Udeme regretted that the things we can produce by ourselves were being imported, saying that Nigerians at the top are not being fair to the poor because as he puts it, “those at the top don’t buy fuel but get freely from government fuel dumps. Some of them do not know the cost of fuel from year to year and they want to kill us the poor masses that are surviving from it|.

He urged government to reconsider it and on the fuel subsidy as it affects fuel pump price, “because some persons want to embezzle our money to enrich themselves. We are not happy”.

A staff of Communication Trained Limited (CTL), Mr. Sylvester Obi urged the Federal Government to be sensitive to the people’s views by suspending the action until consultations are exhausted and the people unanimously endorse the decision to remove fuel subsidy.

Obi noted that the effect of the subsidy removal resulting in increase in fuel price was biting too hard on ordinary citizens, saying “changing fuel price from N65.00 to N141.00 is so outrageous that many Nigerians who live below poverty level cannot cope” and  called on Jonathan to have  listening ear to the people’s cries.

In his view a Port Harcourt-based businessman, Mr Emeka Iwezor said “removing the fuel subsidy is not the problem but the people are doubting government’s sincerity in the use of the funds that will accrue from the removal”.

Declaring his support to the subsidy removal, Iwezor, the chief executive officer of Emic Communications limited, said if the government will be sincere and channel any money got from the subsidy into meaningful areas of development and not allow a few individuals to confiscate it, then Nigerians will have no cause to worry.

He however, did not support the planned protest by labouir but advised Nigerians to give the government the benefit of the doubt and see what they can do with the subsidy.

Shedie Okpara