· Parents mull school change for their wards
· More car owners turn to “kabu-kabu”
As Nigerians come to grip with the gruelling impact of the new pump price of petrol, residents of the Federal Capital Territory are devising means to stay afloat.
Since the announcement of fuel hike to between N897 to N1000 per litre depending on the marketer, The Abuja Inquirer can report less vehicular and human movement in the city centre, with the obnoxious traffic congestion missing in most parts of the territory.
Our correspondent observed that major roads in Abuja like the Outer Southern Express Way, (Lugbe-Airport road), the Outer Northern Expressway (Kubwa Express), the Nyanya-Keffi road, have been witnessing lighter traffic since the new price was announced.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Limited filling stations in Abuja, had last week, adjusted the price of petrol to N897 amid fuel scarcity.
News of the upward review from N617 to N897 per liter, filtered in Saturday, 31st August 2024 (just 24 hours before the commencement of full operations by the Dangote Refinery).
The Ministry of Petroleum Resources last Tuesday had denied directing the NNPC to sell fuel at N1,000 above the approved pump price, a denial that did not hold water it later emerged.
However, our correspondent observed that a liter of petrol currently sells for between N889 and N1, 200 in some filling stations in Abuja. The impact of which is felt across all sectors of the economy.
A local miller in Bwari, told our correspondent that she may have to pack up her machines and look for another business as the N1,400 a liter was no longer feasible for her business.
The miller, who gave her name as Madam Nonso, said her customers cannot afford the new price rate if she was to review her price due to the new pump price.
“Before now we grind a mudu of millet for N100, but when the fuel went to N617, we started grinding for N200 per measure. Now the fuel in N1,400 in black market, ideally, we should be charging N400 to N500 per mudu going by the percentage increase in price. But tell me, how many people can afford to buy three mudus of millet for N4, 500, then come and grind it for N1, 500? So you are asking a family of five to have N6, 000 before they can take pap that may only last a week?
“As it is I am already thinking of changing business because even at N617 per litre, our patronage reduced significantly. Many people who make pap for business stopped because they weren’t making gain, now at N1, 400 how much can we charge before we get our fuel money out of the business?” She asked.
Similarly, a federal civil servant who asked not to be named, expressed worries that the latest fuel increase will force workers back to the days of rotating duties, which started in the aftermath of subsidy removal.
He said workers had adjusted to the subsidy removal by observing shifts at their offices, which was later addressed by the new minimum wage and other government incentives.
“This new price regime will make mockery of all that gains, because how many of us can afford to fuel our cars or even pay the exorbitant prices to come to work every day?”
A cab driver who resides in Dutse told this newspaper that business has been dull for his colleagues and himself.
“People wrongly assume that we are not affected by the fuel price increase since we can just transfer the cost to our passengers. But that’s not true. Every time there is price increase in fuel, our profit margin narrows.
“Before now when fuel was N187 per liter, we charged N300 from Berger to Dutse. When fuel jumped to N617, we charge N500 for the same trip, now that fuel is N1, 000 in most filling stations, we charge N700 to Dutse. Can you see that the profit margin is reducing? It’s no longer profitable to be a commercial driver. You work the whole day and use everything to buy fuel. The passengers still understand that we drivers are the ones loosing.”
Findings by this newspaper showed that most parents are mulling changing their children’s schools to within their neighbourhoods, rather than the prevailing situation.
“My kids school at Abacha Barracks (Mogadishu Cantonment) and with N200/N250 from Karu Bridge they are in school. But the cost is now N400 one way. Imagine spending N1, 600 every five days a week?
“We are looking for means to bring them to the government school here in Karu Site. We can’t survive this,” a distraught parents told our correspondent.
It was also learnt that more and more civil servants have joined in unregistered commercial taxi known as “Kabu-Kabu” to argument fuel expenses.
From Nyanya and Jikwoyi, a saloon car can carry 6 passengers translating to N6, 000 to and from.
“With this I am guaranteed of fuel every day. We have to device ways to survive,” a civil servant with his office at Federal Secretariat said.
He said residents of the FCT are now forced to adjust their lifestyles to the new realities, by moderating their movement only to places their physical presence are required.
