UDUS Students Bemoan Motorcycles Scarcity as Petrol Price Skyrocket

The students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS), have expressed displeasure over the scarcity and increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol. 

The development has also led to a scarcity of motorcycles to convey students from their respective hostels to their classes.

Dasuki Ibrahim, a 300-level student of law, said since the fuel hike and scarcity of motorcycles, he walks several miles from his home to his faculty daily. 

“I live at Gidan Yaro, which is a sixty-minute trek to the faculty of law every day. Considering the rate at which Sokoto sun bites, it’s not advisable to trek the mile,” he said. “I hope the government can do something about it so that everything returns back to normal.”

Another student of the same faculty,  Mohammed Fatiu, expressed his dissatisfaction over the high cost of living that has characterised President Bola Tinubu’s administration since he took over from Muhammadu Buhari.

“I used to pay N200 to bike-men from my home to the faculty every day but things have become worse as now it costs N350 for the same distance. I have no choice because I can’t trek long distances. This, therefore, affects other plans,” Fatiu lamented.

In her case, Ajibade Naimah had to pick up trash nylons around her faculty as a punishment for coming late to a lecturer’s class after waiting on the road for nearly an hour without a motorcycle. “I got to the class late and my lecturer asked me to pick up trash nylons around the faculty.”

Meanwhile, a commercial motorcyclist, Bello Aliyu, told our reporter about the difficulties transporters face as a result of fuel scarcity. 

“Most of our people (motorcyclists) often queue from dawn till dusk, and they (filling stations) won’t sell at the normal price,” Bello explained.

“At the black market, petrol is now N2,500. We all just hope that everything goes back to normal because it is not our fault that bike men are scarce or that the price went up overnight,” he concluded.