Hike in petrol pump price slows down business activities in Imo

VICTOR DURUAMAKU, Owerri

The sudden hike in the pump price of petrol as announced recently by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has significantly slowed down business activities across Imo state.
This is indicated by limited vehicular movement in the major roads leading from the hinter communities to the urban areas and Owerri the state capital.

Our correspondent report that persons who have the need to move out to a less distant area, resorted to trekking to their destinations while civil servants who could not make it due to high transport fare as a result of the high pump price of petrol, resolved to be going to work two or three times a week.
Similarly, some commercial vehicle drivers who could not afford the new pump price regime, have also decided to park their vehicles at home.

According to Mazi James Ukagha Emesibe, a commercial vehicle driver, who conveys passengers from Obazu Mbieri community, a distance of about 25km, to Owerri Imo state capital “some of us have decided to change to another business because of lack of patronage”.

He said, “following the hike in the pump price of petrol, we increased our fare on each route and this increase in the fare which is not affordable to the majority of the passengers, led to the low turnout of passengers”.

Mazi Emesibe, urged the federal government to reconsider it’s stand on petroleum products marketing pointing out that if not properly handled it will worsen the suffering of the people.

Reacting to the present situation, most peasants called on the federal government to do something urgent to alleviate the sufferings of the people.

In her own contribution, a vegetable seller at the Owerri Central Market, known as ‘ Ekeukwu Owerri’, Mrs Juliana Uzondu, said that the money she makes from the sales, goes back to transportation leaving her with nothing for the family.

She explained that the vegetable business is the only business she does to sustain her family since her husband died eight years ago.

According to her, schools in the state will soon resume for the next academic session, therefore the federal government should lessen the hardship on the people.

She reminded the government officials to remember the promises made by the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the campaign and elections that brought in the present administration of President Bola Amed Tinubu.

For a better society

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