By Dayo Omoogun
The new price of Premium Motor Spirit more popularly known on the street as Petrol announced by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA)
has kindled anger and feelings of frustration among the Nigerian populace.
The Agency had on Wednesday announced a new price regime of N143.80 per litre for PMS up by16.26 percent from the previous figure of N123.
A well-known Abuja-based legal practitioner and public affairs analyst, Barrister Casmir Igwe says he was taken aback by the announcement considering the very difficult economic challenges currently being experienced by the generality of Nigerian people occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was taken aback, shocked because while we are here battling the effects of COVID-19 and with governments of nations churning out palliatives to ensure that their citizens do not fully bear the effect of the brunt of the pandemic, here we are increasing everything, most especially the petroleum pump price. In fact that is the last thing I can even think of happening at this moment, I don’t know who is advising the government.”
“In fact this is one of the reasons why we wanted full deregulation so that the market can determine. You can’t be there telling us that you have taken away subsidy and you are still controlling the market. So they should allow the market forces control the prices” he added.
“You can’t be giving out with one hand and collecting with the other hand. I think it is most unfortunate that we find ourselves in this kind of system”, he lamented.
Reminded that there had been two price reductions within the last three months and that the development may actually be a result of inter play of market forces, he shot back “That is not market forces at play it is political forces at play because you know that it became obvious that oil price per barrel already crashed and that is the mainstay of our economy; if you pro rate it you find that even the N123 we were paying (prior to yesterday’s announcement) is still too much. That is very wrong! It is quite unfortunate and inhumane”
“So there is no reason, no excuse; you just opened up the economy, interstate travel and all of that, and you know that most people have not been engaging in economic activities and the first thing you do is to increase the fuel pump price. Already you know because of interstate roadblocks and lockdown, the cost of transport fare has sky-rocketed and now you are giving them (transporters) a platform to maintain the high prices and exploit the people. This is more so as they are expected to comply with social distancing protocols that restricts their carrying capacity to fifty percent. It’s unfair, no government treats its citizens that way.”
“Where are the people in all this? Where are the palliatives? Where is the social contract?” Barrister Igwe queried.
An Uber driver (Joseph John) real names withheld, says it is very frustrating. In a querulous tone he asks, “as Nigerians can’t we even enjoy anything as citizens of this country?” He said the worst part is that unlike when reductions were announced which the petrol sales outlets were reluctant effect, this price increase was almost instantaneous. JJ was shocked to find the new adjustment had been speedily effected as he went to refuel Thursday morning.
A majority of those who commented stated that it is ill timed, insensitive and that government should have shown empathy and demonstrated emotional intelligence by bearing the burden on behalf of the people.