Fuel Scarcity: Comrade INEC and Others Agitate For Fair Prices

Comrade INEC and three others have agitated for the reduction in transport fares at the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Akungba, to ease the burden on students who will be travelling back home after exams.

Due to the inflation and scarcity of petrol in the country, Comrade Adekanye Mayomi Adeboye, popularly known as INEC, Comrade Ogidan Oluwafemi, popularly known as Peter Pan, and two other comrades known as Penlord and Ylite, visited the NURTW on the 22nd of February to have a dialogue with the Lagos Park Chairman, Mr Atenu. During the dialogue, they spoke about reducing the cost of transportation to an amicable price for students who will be travelling to Ibadan and Lagos shortly.

The Federal Government has sympathised with Nigerians over the hardship and has called for patience in finding lasting solutions to the problem. Chief Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, made the appeal on Sunday in a statement released by his Senior Adviser (Media & Communications), Horatius Egua.

In the last couple of weeks, Nigerians have grappled with fuel scarcity not because of the absence of supply of products but due to inspection failures, which allowed adulterated products into the country. “This is regrettable, and the Federal Government sympathises with the citizenry over the unforeseen hardship, occasioned by the inevitable scarcity.”

Also, the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), has addressed the issue of high petroleum price, which he warned petroleum marketers and fuel station owners in Ondo to desist from hoarding products and creating artificial scarcity in the State. In his address, he also mentioned that he will order the Ondo State task force to enforce sanity.

However, the Governor has asked all petrol stations in the State to dispense fuel in their tanks at the regulated pump price to ease the people of the long hours spent at fuel stations. The Governor reiterated his administration’s readiness to deal decisively with any fuel station found hoarding product.

Akungba-Akoko, the community hosting one of the State-owned institutions, was also experiencing the trauma caused by the scarcity of petrol. Both the indigenes and the students of Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko Ondo state (AAUA) suffered to get petrol at the petrol stations due to the scarcity.

Students travelling back home for the holiday have learnt that the transportation price was increased to N5000 from Akungba to Iyanapaja (Lagos), while from Akungba to Ibadan is now N3500.

In light of this, Comrade Adekanye Mayowa Adebayo and some others went to the park on the 22nd of February 2022 to discuss with the chairman of the NURTW in the area about the increment in fares. After much negotiation on behalf of the students, the price was agreed at 4000 Naira to Lagos and 3000 Naira to Ibadan.

After that, the team headed to the Abuja park where they met with the chairman, Mr Adugbo, and agreed on N4000 for students, not the increased price of N5000. They then met with the Akure park chairman, Mr Omotomo, and were fortunate to meet with the drivers at the park. Unfortunately, they all refused to reduce the price for transport to N1000 because they would be running at a loss and they will be unable to feed their families.

They added that the fare to Akure is N2000 but they beat it down to N1500 and they are unable to go lower than that. However, they will update the price if there is an improvement in the availability of fuel.

Finally, they urged all students to go to the park with their ID card or any means of identification and let them know if the drivers are not keeping their promises.