* President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
By Pathfinder Reporter
Monday September 30, 2024
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The high cost of transport fare caused by the recent increase of petrol pump prices beyond the reach of downtrodden Nigerians has not gone down well with some Nigerian workers’ Economies & Lifestyles.
Correspondingly, it has skyrocketed prices of commodities, forced many car owners to park their vehicles at home,
increased transport fares, limited peoples movement, and sadly forced many people to resign from their jobs.
According to findings, many workers resorted to resigning from their jobs or sleeping in their workplace to cut costs as they could no longer meet up with the increased cost of transportation, which is digging deep into their salaries.
Mr. Dotun Owoyemi, who works at Lagos Island and receives a five-figure Salary lamented: “I live on the mainland and work on the Island.
“Before now, I spent N800 to and fro my workplace.
“Now, I spend N2,500 to N3,000 daily.
“Those commercial bus drivers are not helping matters at all either.
“A destination of N200 fare, they increased it to N500. That of N100 to N300.
“I earn just a five-figure salary and spend almost half of my monthly salary on transportation alone.
“This is not funny at all. I had to resign from work because this N70,000 minimum wage is not functioning in all private organizations truth be told.
Restaurant owners lament the increasing cost of fuel
“This fuel price increase pays a few people not salary earners.
“If you visit the market today, you will marvel at the negative effect of this new policy on the prices of goods.
“Many businesses have tagged the cost of fuel to the recent increase in the price of goods and services.
“I am still looking for a job on the mainland that is close to my house and will spend less transport fare compared to my previous workplace.”
“I was working but couldn’t feed myself.”
For Mrs. Dorcas Chukwuma, a midwife who works in Marina, “I worked as a midwife in one of the private hospitals in Marina but resigned recently due to the high cost of transportation.
“I was not the only one in my workplace that resigned.
“There were four of us.
“Living on the mainland and working on the Island is not easy at all, especially now that the cost of transportation has tripled.
“The cost of food and services has also followed.
“I just had to source for another hospital on the mainland where I can work and spend less transport fare instead of spending all my salaries on transportation just to work on the Island.
“It is a pity that the government, when introducing policies, doesn’t consider the masses.
“This fuel price increase has introduced more poverty in the country.
“We were complaining that people are suffering, now husbands will no longer go home to their families daily because they have to cut costs, young and old will have to come out of their houses to beg because those relatives giving them can hardly fend for themselves.
“We don’t even know our destination as a country anymore.
“Our government has failed us.”
Apart from resigning from jobs, Mr. Tunde Ayeni, who works in Lekki said he now sleeps in the office during the week and returns home on Fridays to cut transportation costs.
“I work in Lekki and live in Abule Ado. Within two weeks of the increased fuel price, my transportation fare grew from N2,000 a day to N4,000.
“ I don’t receive up to N100,000 salary in a month.
“So I started sleeping in the office on weekdays and going back home on weekends.
“It is so ridiculous because these private companies are also struggling to survive and cannot increase salaries.
“If private companies implement the so-called N70,000 minimum wage, many employees will lose their jobs.
“Except for companies that are resilient to all the effects of these economic policies which I doubt are in existence.”
Miss. Sandra Douglas said:” I’ve resigned already. I live around Elelonwo in Port Harcourt and was working at King Perekule, GRA. I spent N52,000 for transportation in a month for a job whose salary was not up to N100,000.
Mr Joseph Godwin said, “God, what offence have we committed in this country.
” I am a businessman, I live in Mushin area of Lagos, but my business has gone down completely due to harsh economic policies introduced by Tinubu. At one time I thought I should Japa, but no money, no helper.”
* We barely move around town, make ends meet – Nigerians lament hardship
Many residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have decried increased transport fares, which has limited their movement around the city center.
The residents told the News Agency of Nigeria that one of the greatest challenges they encountered was the non-availability of fuel despite its increased cost.
According to them, fuel is not readily available at many filling stations at the time, leading to artificial scarcity and panic, thus the increasing cost of transportation.
They, therefore, reiterated their appeal to the Federal Government and other authorities to urgently intervene in the situation as Nigerians were suffering and getting very desperate.
Mrs Rebecca Solomon, a civil servant, appealed to the Federal Government to redeem its promise of providing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses for commuters.
According to Solomon, these vehicles, when open and rational, will greatly help in ameliorating the high cost of transportation,n which is affecting all sectors.
“Nigerians were happy when President Bola Tinubu announced the provision of buses to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians.
“We have been waiting and hoping for the buses promised to us (residents) by the Federal Government, but we ain’t yet to have the buses.
“We need God’s intervention to pull through because the situation of things is not getting any better. Many people are suffering and dying,” she said.
Mr. Godson Edache, a nurse, said the e sharp rise in the cost of necessities was biting hard on residents, and this could only be checked by reducing transportation fares.
Each transition is crucial as it affects virtually everything/sector in the country. So it is not surprising that the cost of goods and services have skyrocketed.
“Every day I struggle le to afford transportation to and from work because the cost of transportation keeps rising every day.
“The recent surge in bus fares has placed an additional burden on my already tight budget, making it increasingly difficult to make ends meet.
“Even at the clinic where I work, we no longer experience a heavy influx of customers as we used to because the cost of drugs had also increased and people cannot afford treatment, ” he said.
Mr Gabriel Ojo, a desk officer said: “I have long forgotten I own a car because I have not been able to use it in a long time due to high cost of fuel.
“I do not understand if the managements of fuel stations are purposely hoarding the fuel to ensure scarcity to enable them to increase their prices.
“For me, I have put convenience behind me, abandoned my car, and happy,ily jumped on different cabs to work as that is what I can afford at the moment.
“Something needs to be done and fast because the situation is worsening by the day, and the economy is not smiling any longer.”
For Agnes Goja, a student, trekking to school has become the order of the day for her. Her aunt, who she lived with, could not afford to give her transportation fares.
“I live with an aunt who is a petty trader and has three children. My aunt used to give me transportation fares to school before but not anymore.
“She said she can no longer afford to give me money for transport to school because she is barely managing to feed and pay our school fees,” Goja said.
Miss Abiba Sule, a trader, said she used to operate a mobile business that entailed her moving from one ministry to another to sell her goods but could no longer do the business anymore.
“I run a mobile business because I cannot afford to rent a shop. I used to go to different ministries and offices to sell my goods.
“These days, the business is very slow, the cost of the items has increased, transportation has increased and people are complaining of no money.
” It is no longer business as usual and it is seriously affecting my income. Right now, two of my children who are supposed to be in school are at home because I cannot pay their fees.
“The situation is really bad. The government needs to come to our aid and improve our economy before all of us will die of hunger and poverty in this country. We are going to mark this year’s Independent celebration with cries”
Meanwhile, Mr Festis Azubuike, a teacher who also decried the high cost of living in the country, however, praised the doggedness and survival mechanism of Nigerians.
“I do not know how we do it in this country. We are very brave and creative people and I always tell my friends that Nigerians have shock absorbers.
“No matter the situation, we always find a way around it and try to get by. We can adjust to whatever situation we find ourselves in.
“The government at all levels and stakeholders need to come together, deliberate, and implement policies that will ensure lasting solutions to our problems in the country,” he said.
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