IS TOO BAD! Unofficial N700-per-liter fuel price sparks protests in Benin
Benin City, Edo State, is presently being rocked by an ongoing protest. The unauthorized increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit, or PMS—more commonly known as gasoline—by N700 per litre is the cause of the protest.
The demonstrators are requesting that a price control committee be established by the state government to monitor the cost of gasoline and other necessities.
Gridlock resulted from the protest’s obstruction of Sapele Road, Ring Road, and other key areas of the city. Omobude Agho, a former coordinator general of the Edo State Civil Society Organization, complained that despite prosperity, Nigerians have endured untold pain.
He said that the increase in gasoline prices was anti-people and that Nigerians could no longer put up with the pain it had brought.
“Fuel has become N700, and minimum wage is still N30,000. He stated that a bag of rice is over N50,000, and the minimum wage is still N30,000”. Reacting to the protest, the Edo State Governor said his government would do everything to address the problem. Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, stated that it would work with relevant stakeholders to address the matter.
It further stated that a monitoring committee would be established by the government within 24 hours to ensure that fuel marketers do not take advantage of citizens.
“The government acknowledges the plight of Edo people, who have had to endure gruelling experiences accessing petroleum products and the exorbitant prices the product is sold for in the state in the last few days.”
