Petrol Price Hike: Edo Residents Protest, Block Benin-Lagos Expressway
BY ONYEKACHUKWU IBEZIM – With the bitting hardship occasioned by the nationwide hike in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), some residents of Edo state on Thursday blocked the Benin-Lagos Expressway and other areas in the Benin metropolis leading to disruption in economic and social activities in the South-South state.
The protesters, mainly members of the Edo State Civil Society Organisation (EDOCSO), called for an urgent reversal of the fuel pump price by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, even as commuters on their way to either Lagos or the Eastern part of the country were stranded for hours.
In their numbers, the placards-carrying protesters made it difficult for the free flow of vehicular traffic with threats to continue the protests if there is no prompt reaction from the Federal Government to ameliorate the people’s suffering as a result of the pump price increase.
Particularly, the protest march and blockage resulted in gridlock on the highway and even some roads within the State as many commuters were forced to disembark from vehicles and trek to their respective destinations in the Benin metropolis.
The protesters, who lamented that Nigerians were already being confronted with numerous challenges, said it was unfortunate that an administration that came into office with the “Renewed Hope” should start on the wrong footing of inflicting pain on the citizenry.
To demonstrate their frustration at the rise in fuel prices, the protesters displayed placards with inscriptions such as “Nigerians can’t buy petrol at N520”; “Petrol must stay at N210 till July ending”; “Is this the APC Renewed Hope for Nigerians?”; “Nigerians are really suffering”; and “We can’t buy petrol at N520 but N210” among others.
Former Coordinator General of EDOCSO, Comrade Omobude Agho, who spoke to journalists on the development, said the protest was meant to draw the attention of President Bola Tinubu to the plight of ordinary Nigerians for his administration to have a second look at the fuel pump price and most importantly, chart the best possible way forward for the country.
“We are protesting because of the increase in fuel price which started yesterday, marketers moved the price from N210 to over N500. We were shocked to see that even the NNPC Limited fixed over N500 as the pump price. So, we feel this is a plan to kill Nigerians or send us to our early graves.”
Further explaining their plans, Comrade Agho said; “The strategy is called local protest, we are localizing the protest. It is currently ongoing in places such as Uselu Shell, Ologbo, Siluko, and Agbor Park.”
According to him, if by Friday the Federal Government fails to address the situation, the protest will spread to other parts of the State in order to press home their demands that Nigerians deserve better from the President Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.
However, some transporters, while lamenting the unfortunate development, said though the sudden price hike is tough on everyone, protesting would certainly add to the existing challenge which is not what the country can afford at this particular time.
“No doubt, the people have a good reason to protest. The fuel situation is hitting hard on everybody but blocking the roads will lead to huge losses for those who are going to do business on either side of the country,” one of the transporters lamented
