Transporters and commuters in Abia State have voiced significant concern over the recent surge in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly referred to as petrol.

The price hike, which was announced by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), took effect on September 3, increasing the pump price from N617 per litre to a staggering N897 per litre.

This development has led to a chain reaction, causing a sharp rise in transportation costs and the prices of essential goods across the state.

According to reports from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), various transport operators and commuters shared their frustrations over the situation, describing it as “unbearable” for the average Nigerian citizen.

In separate interviews, they explained how the price increase is crippling their daily activities and making life more challenging.

A tricycle driver based in Aba, Enyichi Nnadede, explained his dilemma, noting that the soaring cost of petrol had made him question whether it was even worth going out to work.

He lamented that the high cost of fuel was leaving him with very little profit at the end of each day, making it difficult to provide for his family.

He shared, “Fuel is extremely expensive right now. We’re purchasing it at N1,200 per litre, and by the end of the day, we can hardly make enough to feed our families.”

He further criticized petrol dealers, accusing them of exacerbating the crisis. “Yesterday, fuel was sold at N870 per litre, but today it has jumped to N1,200. What could have possibly changed overnight?” Nnadede asked.

Another transporter in Umuahia, Agu Chukwuma, echoed Nnadede’s frustrations, saying he had purchased fuel for N1,100 per litre on the same day.

He expressed how the fuel price hike was eating into his already slim profit margins, making it almost impossible to sustain his transportation business. “We have no other source of livelihood.

The government is pushing us too far with these policies. They need to put an end to this economic hardship,” Chukwuma stated.

Commuters are not faring any better. A regular traveller between Aba and Umuahia, Adiele Chinaza, pleaded with the government to reconsider its policies, which he said were making life extremely difficult for everyday Nigerians.

“I have to travel from Aba to Umuahia every day for work, just like many other civil servants in Abia.

With transport fares skyrocketing, it will soon become impossible for us to meet up with our daily schedules,” he said. Chinaza highlighted that even the N70,000 minimum wage earned by civil servants would no longer be enough to meet basic living expenses under the current circumstances.

Residents of Umuahia are feeling the pinch as well. Onyinyechi Ekwonye, a concerned citizen, pointed out that the ripple effect of the fuel price increase would be felt in the prices of everyday goods and services.

“The rise in transport fares is already driving up the cost of goods. We’re caught in a situation where both the government and the traders are making life harder for the rest of us.

It feels like we’re being punished from all sides,” she remarked. Ekwonye urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to step in and advocate for the people, saying the federal government’s policies were becoming too harsh for ordinary Nigerians to bear.

The consensus among the transporters, traders, and commuters in Abia is one of despair and frustration.

Many are calling on the government to find a solution to the fuel crisis and alleviate the mounting economic pressure on citizens.

The fear is that if nothing is done to address the soaring cost of living, many Nigerians may soon find themselves unable to afford necessities, leading to a deeper crisis across‎ the nation.