Residents of the Federal Capital Territory have been reacting to the withdrawal of fuel subsidy by the federal government. CHIKA MEFOR spoke with some of them.
Lapai Zuba
We regret voting for Jonathan because we are tired already. He is supposed to consider the poor in whatever he does but that is not the case. With the increase in fuel price now, everything will increase; house rent, food, spare parts everything. Government really has to consider the poor masses. Some do not even have what to eat. We need him to reverse the decision
Umaru Isah
The increase of transport fares started today. The transport fare from Zuba to Minna before now was N500 but now it is N800 because we have to buy fuel at N140 per litre from the filling stations. Why is the government doing this to us? The government should know that he is killing the poor masses. We don’t know what our president is turning Nigeria into. People cannot travel again even if they have something important to go to a place to do. Did he deliberately do this knowing that people will suffer for it? He should really have a rethink.
Shuaibu Alhassan
The government should have pity on us. Everything is falling not on the rich people but on us the poor masses. Instead of alleviating our suffering, the government is increasing it. The poor masses are suffering.? I finished school and there was no work. Now we are looking for how to survive here and get our daily bread and the government is removing fuel subsidy.
Bukola? Ajaonibu?
The president knows that what he did was bad.? Everybody knows that it is bad. It is just affecting the poor masses. I heard about the mass protest that will be held soon and I subscribe to it. Everybody should come out so that we will tell the government our mind. N140 per liter of fuel is too much.? I am travelling to Kaduna and they are telling me that the price is N800 instead of the usual N300, we pay. It is rather unfortunate. I pray that he will reverse it. There is hope that he will do just that because with God, all things are possible.
Okonta Okonta
If truly what they are doing will benefit the poor, it is okay. We are not even sure if it will benefit us. We just pray to God that the good thing the government have in mind, he will do it. I ply from Zuba to Nyanya and the price has increased from N300 to N500.
Mallam Dauda
The removal of fuel subsidy has made everything to increase, even the food we eat. It is going to affect the poor masses who are struggling for survival. The president, the senators, those in the House of Representatives and the governors, do they buy fuel?? No they don’t. They are just suffering us. I just heard that somebody was coming from Okene to Abuja and the person was with N3000, yet the drivers told him they could only come down here for N4500. This is a place whose transport fare was N800 earlier. It is only God that will punish them. I ply from Zuba to Kubwa for N 100 but with the increase of the price of fuel, it is now N200.
Usman Adamu
The government is telling us that they will use the money they will get from the removal to help us get the amenities we need. The question is the little, they have been getting from the fuel, what have they done with it? If we have social amenities like water, good roads, light, the money we will be paying for all this will be less. So we won’t even bother to pay a high rate for fuel. But now, those things are not on ground, how do we survive this?
Saidu Wada
Let’s not keep saying negative things. Let us pray that the removal of fuel subsidy will be better for us. If we will have all the amenities we need with the increment of fuel, there is no problem.
Our president Goodluck Jonathan has done a very good job. I am very happy for what he did. We have been cheated by the Northerners for a very long time now. The Alhajis take our fuel and transport it to Niger. But now that the fuel subsidy has been removed, they cannot do it again. I know now that there will be fuel everywhere. I just plead with him to utilise the money realised to do something for the masses. Well done Mr. President. I ply from Zuba to Makurdi and Lafia and the price has increased from N1500 to N2000.
Emmanual Okere,
You need to see what passengers are telling us as if we are the cause. It is our president who has done this to us.
Transport fare to Onitsha from Zuba which was formerly N2000 is now N4500. Other companies are even taking more. We used to give our drivers N11, 000 for fuel but because of the increase, we gave them N17,000. Could you believe that that N17,000 did not even get them anywhere. They have called us now that they are in Lokoja and there was no money to buy fuel. The passengers are very but we do not know what to do. I pity those who travelled home for Christmas. They will be stuck at home because I know that the fare might increase to N7000.
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