FOLLOWING the adjustment of the pump price of fuel by the NNPCL and oil marketers, the cost of transportation has jumped by over 50 per cent or more across various locations, The ICIR observed.

On Tuesday, September 3, the NNPCL adjusted its pump price to N855+.

Visits by The ICIR to filling stations in Lagos and Ogun States indicated that other major oil marketers like the Mobile filling station, adjusted to N868, the Enyo filling station to N897, and the Petrocam filling station to N1,100.

The NNPCL’s hike in pump price has raised a lot of concerns for Nigerians as it has started impacting negatively on the cost of living.

Following the official adjustment of pump price, The ICIR further observed that transporters immediately hiked the fares as commuters were seen stranded at various bus stops.

It was observed that commuters boarding buses from a bus stop at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) to Isaac Jones in Ikeja GRA, were charged N400 from N300, on Tuesday, September 3.

From the Lagos State secretariat to Ikeja under the bridge, transportation fares have jumped from N200 to N300, even as commuters waited tirelessly for vehicles to arrive.

The same costs are paid when commuting from the Computer Village in Ikeja to the Secretariat.

From the secretariat to Oshodi, which previously costs about N500, the conductors were demanding N1,000 per passenger.

From Mowe to the Lagos State secretariat, transporters were charging N800, which formerly costs N600, as of the early hours of Tuesday.

Also, by the evening of Tuesday, transport fare, which hitherto cost N500 from the park and N400 from along the road from Ojudu Berger to Mowe, was hiked to N1,000 at the park.

At Ojodu Berger bus stop along Ojodu-Ogba Road, when The ICIR visited the two NNPCL filling stations, a transporter waiting to buy petrol, Matthew Isede, told our reporter that it is the commuters that would mostly suffer the brunt of the petrol price increase.

“From Ikeja to Isaac Jones yesterday (Monday, September 2), passengers were begging to pay N300. How many people can you pity,” he lamented.

Empty filling stations

Despite its hike in pump price, as of Tuesday, All the NNPCL filling stations visited were not selling petrol.

At Ojodu Berger bus stop along Ojodu-Ogba Road, the two NNPCL filling stations were not selling petrol.

While one was under lock and key, the other had vehicles that queued to buy petrol.  However, it was gathered that the station was expecting to have petrol delivered to it, as drivers waited in anguish.

At Agogbala, along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the two NNPCL fillings directly opposite each other were under lock and key.

“Bus drivers immediately increased the fare by 100 per cent from N300 to N700. T tohis is called cost-push inflation. Nigerians will always survive even if a liter of fuel is sold for N5,000 per liter,” @Chief_Ajiji, lamented on X handle.

Another X user, @NwachukwuNCJ tweeted, “Transport fare has quickly moved from N250 to N400, most fuel stations are closed. The ones still selling have so much crowd, with lots of people looking to buy in anticipation of further hike and scarcity.”

NLC demands reversal

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded the immediate reversal of the latest increase in the pump price of petrol across the country.

The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, in a statement, accused the federal government of betraying the labour movement.

He said, “We demand the immediate reversal of the latest increase in the pump price of PMS across the country, the release of all those incarcerated or being prosecuted on the assumption of having participated in the recent protests.

“End to policies that engender hunger and insecurity, Halt to government’s culture of terror, fear and lying. We are guided by our belief in our country and the need to secure and sustain its sovereignty, integrity and welfare of the people.”