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Anger as Petrol Prices Exceed N1,000 per Litre in Benue |
There was palpable anger in parts of Benue State on Saturday as most filling stations dispensed petrol at rates between N980 and N1,100 per litre.
Before this sudden price hike, petrol was sold between N850 and N950 per litre at filling stations owned by independent marketers, while black market prices were around N1,000 per litre.
Aside from the NNPC Mega station, which rarely has petrol to sell to the public but dispenses at N617 per litre when available, most filling stations in Makurdi and major towns sold the product at the new higher rates, causing frustration among motorists and motorbike riders.
A commercial motorcycle operator, Christopher, expressed his frustration, stating that the continuous increase in petrol prices was making life unbearable for him and his family. He recounted how he bought petrol for N850 per litre one day, only to find the price had risen to N980 per litre the next day.
"We did not see this coming. This government wants to impoverish Nigerians even more. What is our sin? Did we wrong them by voting for them?" he lamented. "How can any reasonable government subject Nigerians to this unimaginable level of suffering? Every money we make goes to purchasing fuel. This is not fair to poor Nigerians. This government is not listening to the cries of poor Nigerians."
Christopher added, "Everything that makes life worth living is being priced out of reach. We cannot feed our families, our children are dropping out of school, and people do not go to the hospital when they fall sick because they cannot afford treatment. Is this what they promised us during the elections?"
He questioned how anyone could claim that rising food prices would come down under these circumstances. "This government has failed the masses, and we will not forget this traumatizing experience in a hurry," he said.
Comrade Odeka, a commercial bus driver, also voiced his frustration over the continuous increase in petrol prices since the current administration took office. "We are tired of this government. They are bereft of ideas and do not know how to govern the country," he said.
"Why is this government punishing Nigerians? They are insensitive to the pains Nigerians are facing. We bought fuel a few days ago for as high as N850 per litre, and today I am buying it for N980. Outside the state capital, fuel is being sold for as high as N1,100, and black marketers are selling it for N1,200 per litre. And politicians want us to believe that this government means well for Nigerians."
"This is not what they promised us during the election, and it is sad that we are being subjected to this level of unimaginable poverty. This government is not fair to Nigerians," Odeka concluded.
