By Sampson Uhuegbu
Residents of Imo State have expressed concern over the recent increase in the price of petrol, describing the development as a major hardship on households already struggling with rising living costs.
Many families say they have been thrown into frustration as they grapple with higher transportation fares, food prices, and other basic needs.
The situation has become more worrisome following the sudden spike in fuel prices, which has risen from about ₦830 per litre to as high as ₦1,250, triggering panic buying as motorists rushed to filling stations in fear of further increases.
Some Bus-Imo drivers and private vehicle owners who spoke with Sampson Uhuegbu, in Owerri yesterday said the increase came at a difficult time, noting that families are already battling rising costs of food items, rent, electricity and other necessities.
A petrol attendant at a filling station along Okigwe Road, Owerri, who identified herself as Chioma Iwu, said the situation was affecting both motorists and fuel marketers.
“The problem is affecting everyone,” she said, noting that customers are increasingly worried about the constant changes in fuel prices.
During a visit to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) filling station along Onitsha Road, Owerri, it was observed that petrol was selling for about ₦1,080 per litre.
A Bus-Imo Driver, Chima Iwuorie, appealed to the Government to urgently intervene and stabilise fuel prices.
“We are pleading with the Government to help find solutions to this problem,” he said, warning that transport fares may increase further if the price of Petrol continues to rise.
At the Eke-Ukwu Owerri Market, Traders also lamented poor patronage, attributing the situation to the rising cost of transportation and declining purchasing power among residents.
Meanwhile, a Teacher at the Akwakuma Girls’ Secondary School, Owerri, Chioma Ogu, who granted an interview to Sampson Uhuegbu who visited the school, yesterday, described the current Economic challenges facing Nigerians as disturbing.
She questioned why citizens should continue to suffer despite Nigeria’s vast oil resources.
“Nigeria is blessed with oil, yet we are buying petrol at such high prices. This is not right,” she said.
The recent surge in fuel prices has been linked by analysts to rising tensions in the Middle East, particularly the ongoing crisis involving the United States and Iran, which has pushed up global crude oil prices.
Residents fear that unless urgent measures are taken, the increase could further worsen the cost of living across the State.
