- Prices jump to over N500 nationwide
- Transport fares rise
BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The meeting between the Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress over fuel subsidy removal ended on Wednesday without a consensus.
The meeting began around 4 pm at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Representatives of the Federal Government included Dele Alake, a spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu; and the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari.
Other government officials present were the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele; and former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole.
The organised labour was represented by the NLC National President, Joe Ajaero; and the President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Festus Osifo.
After several hours of meeting with the Federal Government, the NLC demanded that the Federal Government return to the status quo by reversing the price of fuel before resuming negotiations with the NLC.
The National President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, who criticized the removal of subsidy, demanded that the status quo be returned before any formal engagement with the NLC to protect the Nigerian workforce and proffer additional solutions.
The NLC insisted that the Federal Government did not enter into any conversation even on palliative measures for Nigerians, hence the rejection of the latest announcement.
The union said it had decided to reconvene with its members to determine the next line of action.
Conversely, Alake described the meeting as robust, adding that talks would continue.
He expressed hope that the parties would reach a reasonable conclusion at its next adjourned meeting.
Meanwhile, Nigerians have started feeling the physical effects of petrol subsidy removal. Commuters going to work on Wednesday morning were stuck at the bus stops and many who couldn’t work remotely were forced to walk long distances.
Some other filling stations monitored by our correspondent across Osun State were selling beyond N500 as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Point visited some filling stations and discovered that motorists, motorcyclists were purchasing the fuel amid complaints while others, especially private motorists, refused to purchase it at such price.
Our correspondent who visited NNPC Mega Station at LAMECO area of Osogbo observed that the station was selling at N500 per litre.
Other stations such as Nipco, Oduwoye, among others, sold between N500 and N550.
Some commercial motorists and motorcyclists who could not afford the new price were stranded at various major fuel stations in the state.
In their separate interviews with our correspondent, some Nigerians lamented the sudden increments and begged the Federal Government for some measures to cushion the adverse effects of the inflation.
Also, motorists lamented the hike in the fuel product, saying it would cause inflation across board.
A commercial motorcyclist, Bade Dada, who said he purchased fuel at the rate of N500, noted, “I had to buy it because the owner of my bike is expecting returns and I can’t return home empty handed. I would have to double fares for passengers so that I can cover up. I bought a litre for N500 at the NNPC and I am not happy about it. This will make things, especially food items, rise. Government should do something about it.”
Another respondent, a commercial bus driver, simply identified as Olasoji, said, “This issue of subsidy removal will bring a lot of pain to the people. I got to a filling station and it was selling a litre for N400. I couldn’t buy it because that was not my budget. I am appealing to President Tinubu to look into this subsidy issue.”
Queues at fuel stations appeared on Monday after President Bola Tinubu’s declaration that the petrol subsidy was gone. The new president had explained, while describing the pillars of his administration’s economic reforms, that there was no more provision for petrol subsidy in the budget he was inheriting.
A quick survey on the streets of Lagos also revealed a massive crowd of commuters waiting and looking frustrated at the bus stops. There was also a traffic jam as a result of cars queuing at filling stations.
Despite the queue, it was observed that most of the fuel stations were not selling but for some reason, the people just queued and waited.
Touts selling the product on the black market were observed to be selling as high as ₦1000 per litre.
For fear of the unknown, some have resorted to conserving whatever amount of fuel they currently have by not using air conditioning in their cars.
“Bus fares have almost tripled from normal N300 to N700,” a commuter who left home around 6:40 from Ilewe Ikotun to Cele bus stop,” Francis recounted.
The commuter held that the public transport operators must have planned the increase overnight as all operators, even in different locations quoted the same price.
For longer distances, the increase seems slight, the commuter observed.
“There was a slight increase from the normal N700 to N800 which got everyone in the bus complaining,” the commuter said.
In Satellite Town, Lagos, the traffic was massive. Commuters in the axis had to rely on private vehicles to move.
“From Abule Ado to Mile 2, I had to pay N200 instead of the usual N100 fare,” Chinedu, another commuter said.
“Upon reaching Mile 2, I had to board another bus to CMS, but the fare was higher than usual, amounting to N500 instead of the regular N400. Commuters were left with limited choices – either trying to secure a bus, opting for a private vehicle, or resorting to paying exorbitant amounts to military personnel on motorbikes.
“I attempted to use Bolt, but the cost forced me to join the majority in seeking alternative options. To make matters worse, my journey was further delayed by heavy traffic congestion, which lasted for over two hours. Many public bus drivers exacerbated the situation by utilising one-way routes, aggravating the traffic jam.”
The commuter walked more than five kilometres because the road was jammed with vehicles trying to get fuel.
“Despite leaving my house early, I faced significant delays and inconveniences, ultimately arriving at my workplace very late,” the commuter said.
The lamentations were the same for commuters coming from downtown Ikeja, the capital city of Lagos.
Dammy, commuting from Gbagada to Ikoyi said, “I was at the bus stop early enough, but I had heard a lady ranting about how she had been there since 6:30. It was already 8am at the time, and I thought she was exaggerating.
“There was a crowd there. Buses going to the Island approached the bus stop very sparingly. There were a few private cars that people thronged to.”
During the rush, she boarded the wrong bus. By the time she realised, she had gone very far and had paid the bus fare. She alighted and joined others waiting for the bus to Ikoyi in Ogudu.
Operators of estate shuttle buses inside Magodo also jerked up their fares from N100 to N200, as this forced many commuters to long trekking.
