There was palpable anger in parts of Benue state on Saturday as most filling stations in the state dispensed petrol between the rate of N980 and N1,100 per litre.
Before the sudden adjustment to the new rates, petrol was sold between N850 and N950 per litre at filling stations owned by independent marketers while black marketers sold at N1,000.
Aside the NNPC Mega station which hardly have petrol to sell to the public but dispensed at N617 per litre whenever they have supplies, most of the filling stations in Makurdi and major towns in the state sold the product to angry motorists and motorbike riders at the rate of N980 and N1,100.
An angry commercial motorcycle operator who simply identified himself as Christopher said the continous increase in pump price of petrol was making life unbearable for him and his family.
He lamented that on Friday he bought the product from a filling station in town for N850 per litre and in less than 24 hours he went back to fill his tank for the day’s business and discovered that the pump price had been adjusted upwards to N980 per litre.
He said, “we did not see this coming. This government wants to impoverish Nigerians the more. What is our sin. Did we wrong them by voting them?
“How can any reasonable government subject Nigerians to this unimaginably level of suffering. Every money we make goes to purchase of fuel. This is not fair to poor Nigerians. This government is not listening to the cry of poor Nigerians.
“Everything that makes life worth living is being priced out of the reach of the masses. We cannot feed our families, our children are dropping out of school and people do not go to hospital again if they fall sick because they cannot afford treatment. Is this what they promised us during the elections?
“With this how can anyone claim that the rising food proces will come down. This government has failed the masses and we will not forget this traumatising experience they are making us go through in a hurry.”
Also, a commcial bus driver, Comrade Odeka who was heard expressing frustration and anger over the continously increase in the pump price of petrol since the coming of the present administration said, “we are tired of this government, they are bereft of ideas and do not know how to go about the governance of the country.
“Why is this government punishing Nigerians? They are insensitive to the pains Nigerians are facing. We bought fuel few days ago for as high as N850 per litre, today I am buying it for N980, and if you go outside the state capital fuel is being sold for as high as N1,100 and black marketers are selling for N1,200 per litre. And politicians want us to believe that this government means well for Nigerians.
“This is not what they promised us during the election and it is sad that we are being subjected to this level of unimaginable poverty. This government is not fair to Nigerians.”