Following a hike in petrol price from N1,150 to N1,300 in Abia State, residents have lamented the crushinh hardship caused by the soaring prices.
The impact on transport and prices of commodities worsened the condition of living, leaving many to lament the cost of transportation and commodities.
Uchenna Maduka, a driver with Umumass in Umuahia, said: “We (drivers) are suffering it. After buying fuel at this current exorbitant price, we don’t recover our expenses.”
A taxi driver, Patrick Okeh, said. “I pity commuters. We don’t have any choice but to transfer the cost to the passengers. Not only is fuel costly, it is also scarce. Where can you find it?” he queried.
Joan Eche, Ngozi Jude and Nwanyinma Ude said they have resorted to making shift arrangements in their offices, such that they now skip some working days, otherwise their present salary may not be enough to transport them to work in a month.
Traders, particularly foodstuffs sellers, said they must remain in business to feed their families, lamenting they have no choice but to sell as they bought, stating that it is even difficult to sell.
A butcher, Okezie Ndudim, said: “Most buyers and most homes now cook without meat. Our sales have dropped and our commodities sometimes decay due to the inability to sell our purchases.
“What do we do? We have families to feed, and we have high transport costs to pay to get our commodities. What do we do?”
