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From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Commuters and motorists in Cross River state have expressed their frustration and disappointment as pump price of petrol is between N650 and and N800 per litre.
The hike in the price of the commodity is as a result of yesterday’s official increase of pump price to N617 per litre by NNPC, leading to the recent increase of the commodity by marketters within Calabar metropolis and across the state t between N650 and N700 for those in Calabar while those at Ugep, Ikom, Ogoja and Obudu sell for N750 and N800 per litre.
However, some major marketters including Dozzy Oil and NorthWest are still sticking to official price of N617 even as most of them don’t have products.
When our correspondent went round some streets of the metropolis, it was discovered that a few petrol stations that opened are selling between N650 and N700 per litre especially in Calabar South, Marian Road and at 8- Miles axis.
As a result of this, transport fares have been hiked within the metropolis to between N200 and N400 per drop and depending on the distance
Checks revealed that while a drop from Ekpo Abasi to UNICAL main gate that was N200 is now N300, Ekpo Abasi junction to Marian -Effio Ette junction is N400 while Watt Market Roundabout to 8 Miles is now N500 as against N300.
A commercial driver, Emmanuel Akpan, said they had to hike the transport fares to be able to remain in business, adding “we cannot buy fuel at N650 or N700 a litre at filling station and you expect us to still charge the usual N200 per drop before the increament.
“We charge according to market forces and how they sell fuel. Some of our colleagues who bought N650 per litre would charge N500 per drop and that is where we are as I am talking with you,” said Akpan who ply Watt Market -8- Miles axis.
A keke rider, who plies Ekpo Abasi- junction to Watt Market, Udu Udo, 20 , said: “I bought fuel at N700 and I would charge N300 per drop because I have to recoup the fuel money to keep my business going.
Expressing worry at the development, a public servant, Michael Ekpenyong, said: “We were surprised to wake up to go to work this morning only for taxi drivers to jerk up the transport fare by 100 per cent from Ekpo Abasi to Federal Secretariat at Murtala Mohammed Highway.
“Civil servants have been bearing the brunt of the economic crisis in the country. Why Should government increase pump price of fuel when things are already too difficult to cope. Government removed subsidy without a consequential adjustment on minimum wage.”
A student of department of mass communication, University of Calabar (UNICAL) who lives off campus, John Ebi, said:”We have not option than trek down to school, adding that they walk half of the distance and then enter taxi to to reduce the transportation cost to get home.
