Fuel price hike protest leaves Kwara residents stranded, businesses paralysed
Commercial transport operators on Thursday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, grounded daily activities to express their dissatisfaction over the new fuel price hike by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The Informant247 gathered that the protest, which started around 8 a.m., left many residents stranded and spiked transportation costs by over 100 per cent.
The aggrieved transporters forced other intra-city commercial operators off the road and occupied major junctions in the state capital.
Places like Okolowo, Ogidi, Oloje, Alore, Oja-Oba, Maraba, Taiwo Isale, Unity Road, Olorunshogo, GSS and Offa garage roundabout, among others, were witnessed by what could be termed as an unannounced protest.
It would be recalled that the residents of Kwara did not partake in the recent #Endbadgovernment protest that occurred from August 1 to August 10 to express their grievance against the hardship in the country. The protest was marred by violence in the northern part of the country.
However, the situation in Ilorin on Thursday saw motorcycle and tricycle passengers forcefully disembarked and made to trek while vehicle owners were asked to display leaves in solidarity with them before they were allowed to go.
According to Dailytrust report, a protester, Habeebullahi Isiaka, said, “We are buying fuel at N1,250 per litre. Passengers are seriously complaining. We can’t make money to feed our family after fuelling with the new hike at a time we were seriously expecting reduction.
“President Tinubu should reverse the fuel price to N185 because we can’t continue like this. We hope the president still wants Nigeria to exist.”
Meanwhile, the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has directed the immediate deployment of buses to different parts of the metropolis to ease the movement of commuters.
According to a statement signed by Rafiu Ajakaye, chief press secretary to the governor, on Thursday, the governor appealed to transporters and members of the public to exercise patience over the new fuel price hike, saying different government stakeholders were reviewing the situation with the public good as a top priority.
The statement reads, “The buses are to take people to the most central destinations free of charge. We hope that persons attending the SUBEB job placement interviews would find this helpful, particularly in the metropolis.”
“The inconveniences are regretted, and we are confident that things will ease as soon as possible,” it added.
