On Wednesday, there was widespread anger in Anambra State as commuters and drivers experienced a sudden increase in the price of petrol, also known as Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), from N530 to N700. This led to a surge in demand, with motorists and consumers flocking to petrol stations to purchase larger quantities in anticipation of a potential further increase to N800 starting from Wednesday.
According to reports, prior to the news of the price hike, petrol stations in major cities like Onitsha, Nnewi, and Awka were selling the product at N530 per litre on Tuesday morning. However, in the afternoon, independent oil marketers abruptly closed their filling stations and temporarily refused to sell petrol for a few hours after learning about the price increment. They eventually resumed operations in the evening after an emergency meeting in Awka and adjusted their pump prices to reflect the new pricing.
Consequently, transportation fares surged by over 30 percent, causing commuters to pay N300 for a journey that cost N200 earlier in the day. This sudden increase caught many commuters off guard, resulting in some being stranded as they couldn’t afford the new price. Frustrated and angry, these individuals were seen trekking to their destinations.
Investigations revealed that petrol stations along the Upper Iweka on the Onitsha-Owerri Road were selling petrol at N700 per litre. Meanwhile, NNPCL facilities along the Awka-Enugu Road and other marketers were observed selling the product between N620 and N650 per litre, with some filling stations in Nnewi selling at N690.
Certain independent sales outlets had already closed in anticipation of selling at higher prices starting from Wednesday. The manager of a petrol station in Onitsha, who requested anonymity, mentioned receiving a call from another petrol station instructing them to temporarily suspend operations and adjust their meter to reflect the new price increase imposed by the NNPCL. As a result, they ceased selling fuel on Monday due to a sit-at-home directive, but on Tuesday, they were selling at N530 before being notified to suspend operations and later adjust their prices to N700.
In response to the situation, a commercial transport operator in Onitsha named Chukwudi expressed his frustration, stating that he was filling up his tank and purchasing fuel in jerry cans to stock up for several days, fearing that the price might rise to N800 by the next day. He highlighted the significant hardships caused by the situation and acknowledged that transportation prices would inevitably increase. Chukwudi also observed that many people were resorting to trekking and warned that they should be prepared to do so even more due to the circumstances.
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