By john Dike
Residents of Osun State have started groaning following the increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)as intra- transportation within the state skyrocketed.
Osogbo ,the state capital, intra commercial transport services popularly called Korope’ charges #200 per drop in short distances while Okada charges #300 or #400 respectively depending on the distance .
Consequently ,most filling stations visited by our correspondent on Wednesday have started adjusting their prices to the new price regime of #617 per litre .
This is coming as Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) had announced the new price and consequently adjusted the price of PMS to as high as N617 per litre on Tuesday.
However ,immediately after the news of the increment of fuel price broke, motorists in Osogbo, Osun state capital rushed to filling stations to fill up their vehicles before the implementation of new price.
Our correspondent observed that long queues have resurfaced in filling stations like NIPCO and Matrix along the Gbongan-Ibadan road, as well as Habeeb filling station in Odi-Olowo, Osogbo and A.A. Rano located around Osogbo township stadium and many other petrol stations in the state
At the time of filing this report filling stations along Kola Balogun area of the state were under lock and key .Though it was not clear if they were having the product or waiting to adjust to the new price .
At Habeeb filling station, fuel was sold at N534, Matrix and NIPCO sells at N505, while A.A Rano sells at N520.
Speaking with our correspondent a commercial motorists who identified himself as Tajudeen Adekola lamented that the current hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy is taken a worrisome dimension.
He said this was not what Nigerians were expecting from Tinubu as many are now saying Buhari government which many abuse of being insensitive to the plight of Nigerians is seem to be better from what we have already experience so far in this new administration.
Adekola noted that even when the subsidy was first removed, majority of the commercial drivers could not afford the N500 price initially implemented.
His words ” majority of them receive the increment in the pump price in a shock adding that it had further worsened the hardship and sufferings of many Nigerians.
“We do not expect more hardship than what we are currently experiencing .This is a government we believe should be better than Buhari government but its quite unfortunate to be seeing this kind of thing at the early stage of new government “.
Mrs Bukola Ayoola ,a Civil servant in the State described the fuel increase as wicked ,insensitive capable of killing innocent Nigerians if not quickly reverse .
She said ” How can a government that suppose to give hope to the masses now punishing them .is this what Nigerians are expecting having came out from worst adminstration of money scarcity. This is unacceptable “.
Ayoola who said she had since abandon his vehicle which she used to take her kids to school and also to her office hinted that Nigerian will soon revolt if nothing urgent is done .
Osun chapter of Committee or Human Rights has condemned the #8,000 palliative initiative of the government describing it as a scam
There was a mini protest by commercial drivers over enforcement of intra State commercial drivers to load passengers from designated bus stop
The move according our correspondent findings was to ensure strict compliance of #200 per drop transportation within the state .
