Fuel hike: Commercial drivers withdraw vehicles from Osun roads
Intra city commercial bus drivers in Osogbo, the Osun State capital
on Thursday withdrew their vehicles from the road to protest the
increase in the price of petrol to N145 per litre.
Our correspondent observed that commuters resorted to trekking long distance as the drivers parked their mini buses known as ‘korope’ at various motor parks to protest the fuel hike which many of them described as wicked.
One of the drivers, who spoke in an interview with our correspondent, Tajudeen Mustapha said commuters were not willing to pay commensurate increase in the fare.
Mustapha said, “This hike is wicked. The people are suffering already even before the hike. Many workers are not being paid and how do you expect these people to afford this hike.
“Passengers don’t want to pay and we have to pay almost double for a price of one litre, so who will bear the increase? That is why we decided not to work, we cannot subsidise fares for commuters.”
Some students of Ataoja School of Science told our correspondent that they had to embark on the distance of about eight kilometers because commercial buses were withdrawn from the road.
Also, the National Association of Nigerian Students has condemned the hike in the price of fuel.
The Deputy Coordinator of NANS in South West, Mr. Saheed Afolabi, who said this in a statement made available to our correspondent in Osogbo said Nigerian students would not allow the hike to stand.
He said the new policy would worsen the already bad economy of Nigeria, saying many parents could no longer feed their children let alone sending them to school.
He said, “We are calling for the immediate reversal of the fuel hike and a sincere apology from the Federal Government.
“We are prepared to embark on mother of all protests in the history of Nigeria. Nigerians did it in 2012 and we are ready to shut down the whole nation.”
The immediate past National Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Advance Party, Mr. Tosin Odeyemi, also condemned the hike describing it as a way to further impoverish Nigerians.
Odeyemi said this in an interview with our correspondent that the hike would lead to another round of hike in prices of foodstuffs and other items needed on daily basis by the people.
He said, “The President has done the worst for Nigerians and this should be reversed. It is a wicked policy and it will aggravate the suffering of the majority of the people.”
Our correspondent observed that commuters resorted to trekking long distance as the drivers parked their mini buses known as ‘korope’ at various motor parks to protest the fuel hike which many of them described as wicked.
One of the drivers, who spoke in an interview with our correspondent, Tajudeen Mustapha said commuters were not willing to pay commensurate increase in the fare.
Mustapha said, “This hike is wicked. The people are suffering already even before the hike. Many workers are not being paid and how do you expect these people to afford this hike.
“Passengers don’t want to pay and we have to pay almost double for a price of one litre, so who will bear the increase? That is why we decided not to work, we cannot subsidise fares for commuters.”
Some students of Ataoja School of Science told our correspondent that they had to embark on the distance of about eight kilometers because commercial buses were withdrawn from the road.
Also, the National Association of Nigerian Students has condemned the hike in the price of fuel.
The Deputy Coordinator of NANS in South West, Mr. Saheed Afolabi, who said this in a statement made available to our correspondent in Osogbo said Nigerian students would not allow the hike to stand.
He said the new policy would worsen the already bad economy of Nigeria, saying many parents could no longer feed their children let alone sending them to school.
He said, “We are calling for the immediate reversal of the fuel hike and a sincere apology from the Federal Government.
“We are prepared to embark on mother of all protests in the history of Nigeria. Nigerians did it in 2012 and we are ready to shut down the whole nation.”
The immediate past National Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Advance Party, Mr. Tosin Odeyemi, also condemned the hike describing it as a way to further impoverish Nigerians.
Odeyemi said this in an interview with our correspondent that the hike would lead to another round of hike in prices of foodstuffs and other items needed on daily basis by the people.
He said, “The President has done the worst for Nigerians and this should be reversed. It is a wicked policy and it will aggravate the suffering of the majority of the people.”
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