Fuel Price Hike: Motorists, Others Seek FG’s Intervention

Motorists in Nsukka
town and environs in Enugu State have urged the Federal Government to intervene in the indiscriminate hike in prices of petroleum products in the area.
The Tide check in Nsukka last Thursday revealed that some filling stations dispense Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) between N150 and N155 a litre as against official pump price of N145.
Also, a litre of kerosene sells between N300 and N350 per litre in most filling stations in the university town.
Some motorists called on the Federal Government to urgently stop the marketers from exploiting the public.
A  commercial bus driver in the town, Mr Mike Ezeugwu, described the situation as ‘unacceptable’.
“The Federal Government should intervene and save residents from further exploitation by enforcing official pump price as well as sealing filling stations that failed to sell at N145 per litre.
“This idea of petroleum marketers selling at whatever price they like in order to exploit the general public and make excess profit should be put to a stop.
“Things are difficult as a result of economic recession in the country, so, increasing the pump price of fuel means subjecting Nigerians to extra hardship,” Ezeugwu said.
A civil servant, Mrs Uche Omeje, wondered why the increase in fuel price and urged government to intervene.
“I spend money to fuel my car and generator as there is no light in Nsukka, now marketers have increased the pump price of fuel and worsened the situation in the country.
“What pains me most is that the product is not scarce as most filling stations in Nsukka town have fuel but I wonder why the increase in price by marketers,” Omeje said.
Mr Desmond Nwodo, a tricycle operator, said he had been recording losses for the past two weeks as a result of the increase.
“In spite of the rise in petrol price, I still charge passengers N50 from Nsukka Old Park to Ogurugu Road,” Nwodo said.
Some managers of filling stations in Nsukka town, who pleaded anonymity, told The Tide that, they buy the product from private depot in Lagos and Port Harcourt at a higher rate.
“If we buy at government price in depot, we will sell at government price to our customers. Nobody enters into business to record losses,” they asserted.