Taraba: Palliatives Exist Only On PaperFrom Charles Akpeji, JalingoUNLIKE other states of the federation where governments are working tirelessly round the clock to cushion the negative effects the recent removal of fuel subsidy has unleashed on the citizens, the reverse is presently the case in Taraba State. Apart from the failure of the state government to map out palliatives for the people, it is only on pages of newspapers and electronic media that buses to ease transportation have been purchased and doled out. No single bus has been delivered to the state.More disheartening is the lukewarm attitude of the government in ensuring that the various filling stations scattered round the state adjust their pump price to the approved N97 per litre. As at the time The Guardian went round Jalingo metropolis last Thursday to ascertain the current price of petrol, it was observed that apart from the NNPC mega station, the rest of the outlets only managed to adjust their pump price to N120.Some of them faulted the state government for not extending the much needed olive branch to the people in the area of assisting petroleum marketers get the products from the depots as at when due. 'We are very much aware of what other state governments are doing to help dealers of petrol to get the products on time. If this is done, I don't think we would continue to sell at this high price,' said one of the station managers.'To be frank with you, it is not our desire to hang our pump price at N120. Some of us are really sympathising with motorists but what do you expect us to do' Did you expect us to sell at a cheaper rate and lose''AS a result of the deliberate refusal of the dealers to adjust to the actual pump price as applied in neighbouring states of Benue, Adamawa, Gombe and Bauchi, prices of goods have continued to hit the sky. Current happenings in the state is aptly captured by the popular song of late Afrobeat musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti titled Suffering and smiling as transporters operating in the state have continued to smile to the banks daily while commuters groan.A bike ride that cost N50 before the removal of fuel subsidy, now cost between N80 and N100. 'Oga, make you no blame us o. Blame our governor for not helping us to bring some of the buses we learnt were purchased by the federal government for all the 36 states. If the buses are here today, I promise you that our price will come down,' said one of the transporters.It was further noticed that no single palliative is in place to help reduce prices of goods, especially foodstuff. The reason for the high cost was ascribed to the cost of transportation.A government functionary contacted on the situation, said 'we are disturbed with what is happening to our people in Taraba. We are buying fuel at the rate of N120, yet nobody is doing something about it.' A director, who would not want to be mentioned, avers that petroleum marketers would have adhered to the directive of Mr. President but the failure of the state government to set up a monitoring team to enforce the directive made it possible for the dealers 'to be doing what they like.'Visibly dejected, the director said: 'My heart bleeds for the less-privileged in this state because even those of us earning salaries and are in high positions are still finding it hard to survive. So tell me what would become of our brothers and sisters that are unemployed''Another top government functionary lamented to The Guardian: 'these ongoing problems can give rise to armed banditry activities. You think if all Nigerians are well taken care of, the ongoing spate of violence in the country would arise' No.'He felt sad that the state have been relegated inspite of holding tenaciously to peace, stating that 'despite all the crisis, especially Boko Haram incidents in the northeast, it is only this state that they are finding it hard to penetrate.'Frankly speaking, these buses they are talking about, I have not seen them with my naked eyes. I only read about them on the pages of newspapers. I can't say categorically if any of the buses had been allocated to our state. With or without federal government's assistance, the state has all the resources needed to make available to our people hundreds buses so as to reduce the transportation problems we are presently facing in Taraba.'BENUE: Partial Subsidy Removal, Reason For No Bus LargesseFrom Joseph Wantu, MakurdiTHREE weeks after the federal government announced palliatives in the transport sector to cushion effects of the removal of subsidy on the downstream sector of the economy, there are still no indications that the Benue State government has gotten its fair share of the much publicised 1,600 mass transit buses.The residents of the state capital, Makurdi, who are waiting endlessly to enjoy government's gesture of riding in the 'glorious' buses as promised by President Jonathan, are now being subjected to hike in transport fares as they remain unsure how much they would be asked to pay from one destination to another.Attempts by The Guardian to get information from the state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Benjamin Ashaver, did not yield any result, as he would not reply text messages sent to him.The more worrisome situation in the state is that the 46 buses ' part of the palliative initiative promised the people by the state governor, Gabriel Suswam, are also not available on the roads.Explaining why the buses promised by the state government are not yet available, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Public Affairs, Cletus Akwaya, stated that the procurement of the buses was premised on the full implementation of the subsidy removal. He added that with the partial implementation of the fuel subsidy, government will likely embark on structural readjustment to meet its promise to the people, while assuring, however, that other palliatives would continue.Transport fares, which used to be affordable for an average citizen of the state, have not remained the same since the full fuel subsidy removal saga and after it was brought down to N97 per litre.For instance, before the subsidy removal, fare from Makurdi to Abuja was N800 by Benue Links while other private transport firms collected N1,000. From Makurdi to Gboko, it was N200 by bus and N300 by car. In similar vein, Makurdi to Otukpo, which was N400, shot up to N800. The situation was however, not different with other intra and inter city routes.At present, with the partial removal of fuel subsidy and the pegging of petrol price at N97 per litre, normalcy has not completely returned as fares continue to witness variations from one route to another.The state-owned transport company, Benue Links now charges N1,200 to Abuja as against their previous fare; and private firms that have tried to accede to government appeal to beat down their fares, have not actually come down to normal but are charging above what they used to charge.More disturbing of effects of high transportation cost in the state is its reflection on the price of foodstuff like yam, Akpu, garri, dry cassava, corn, maize and vegetables, which used to be relatively cheap before the advent of the subsidy removal. They have adamantly refused to come down.Jigawa: NURTW Receives 3 FG Buses, 91 Others From StateFrom John Akubo, DutseThough the protests that trailed the fuel subsidy removal has since died, the after-effect of the policy reversal lingers with hardship biting harder on commuters and motorists.In Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, there is acute scarcity of petrol because filling stations belonging to independent marketers who were making brisk business when the pump price was N141 have since closed shops as a result of the N97 reversed price. Motorists in the capital city have to contend with waiting for many hours at the NNPC mega station to get fuel.This has continued to make life difficult for the people as cost of goods and services continue to soar. Transportation fare is the most affected as The Guardian discovered at the Dutse Ultra Modern motor park.The state chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NUTRW), Alhaji Absalam Ismail Naamalanga, said the major problem is the scarcity of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), adding that the reduction to N97 was a good gesture by the president but when the commodity is not available, it amounts to double jeopardy for the people.He disclosed that Jigawa State had taken delivery of three buses from the 1,600 provided by the federal government as palliative measure in the transport sector. He added that the state government had started providing palliatives to ease transportation problems even before the withdrawal of fuel subsidy.Namalanga indicated that the three buses from the federal government would compliment the 91 buses the state had earlier provided for the union on soft loan basis.The secretary of the union, however, appealed to the government to further reduce the pump price to make transport fair affordable. He said because of the increase in the pump price, the union had no option but to equally increase their fares for them to break even.Transport fare from Dutse to Kano that used to be N450 for taxi and N350 for buses was jerked up to N800 and N600 when the pump price was N141. However, when President Jonathan reduced it to N97, the fare dropped to N600 and N500 for taxi and buses respectively.Dutse to Jos that was N1,000 was increased to N1,800 but later reduced by N300 after the pump price was reduced to N97. The union now charges N1,500 from passengers traveling from Dutse to Kaduna as against N1,200.JIGAWA State, by virtue of its poverty status, should have led the protest against fuel subsidy removal. However, it was one of the first to call off street protests after the first day of the organised strike and demonstration against the policy to forestall possibility of miscreants hijacking the protest to cause mayhem.This, it was learnt was due to the responsiveness of Governor Sule Lamido's administration to execute projects that are in consonant with the yearnings of the people. According to Umar Kiyari, Director of Press to Governor Lamido, the government has the people at heart, hence it has been providing palliatives to the people in almost every area of life even before fuel subsidy issue came up.'The government's approach is all encompassing with such measure in the area of health, water supply, education, provision of infrastructure and agriculture. The government does not believe in fire brigade approach, that is why the removal of subsidy did not warrant any emergency measure to provide palliatives as it has been part and parcel of the life of the administration,' he explained.A driver at the park, Bala Ibrahim, said the effect of the fuel subsidy removal is not only on transport as it is affecting every aspect of life with prices of foodstuff rising beyond the reach of the people.Edo: Relief For The YoungAnd Elderly; Tuition Gifts For StudentsFrom Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin CityEDO State at the moment is not a beneficiary of the 1,600 buses the federal government recently launched as part of its efforts to cushion effects of the removal of subsidy on petrol. Two weeks ago, however, the state announced various measures, which included reduction in school fees payable in the state-owned university and complete suspension of the stipend paid by secondary school students.The state governor in a broadcast said it initiated some palliatives in the health and transport sectors of the state. It added that such palliatives would affect indigenes and non-indigenes in the state.Governor Adams Oshiomhole reduced the school fees of the state's university by N15,000 from N52,500 for regular students and N5,000 for part-time students from N55,250. He said what is being removed from the fees would be paid back with the monthly N210 million allocation to the school.'I have directed the authorities of the Ambrose Ali University (AAU) to reduce fees by N15,000 for each regular undergraduate student irrespective of their states of origin. In the same vein, I have directed a N5,000 reduction in fees for each part-time undergraduate. The total value of this reduction will be paid to the university by the Edo State government en bloc in addition to the monthly subvention. This effectively means that the AAU will not suffer any loss of revenue.'The governor said the state government has also abolished all levies including PTA (Parent Teachers Association) in all public senior secondary schools for both indigenes and residents. 'We will in addition sustain our existing policy of absolutely free and compulsory education at the primary and junior secondary school levels.'On transportation, Oshiomhole said he had directed that the state's public transport outfit, Edo City Transport Service, should not increase its current fares; and with effect from February 1, the company should introduce 50 per cent subsidy on transport fare for primary and secondary school pupils who are in uniform.'The transport subsidy for school pupils in uniform would take effect from February 1, by which time all the ticketing details would have been worked out. We have also concluded arrangements to double the Comrade Bus Service fleet by acquiring more buses,' Oshiomhole saidHOWEVER, transport fare, which rose by almost 100 percent immediately after the initial total removal of subsidy has relatively come down. City Centre, Ring Road to Oko Central, which used to be N50 was initially increased to N120 but has now come down to N70, while from the same City Centre to Ekenwan road has remained at N50 ' the fare before the removal of subsidy.On health, Oshiomhole said his administration, in addition to existing free ante-natal care and delivery and the free treatment for children under the age of five, has decided to introduce free medical treatment for pensioners and senior citizens in the state who are 70 years and above in all government hospitals, just as he said that plans were on to provide free eye test and eye glasses for those aged 60 and above.'Whereas it was convenient for me to exploit the current issue to orchestrate my political interests, especially as elections are around the corner, the overriding interest of our country was uppermost in my mind. As I have always argued, our problems as a people are not insurmountable. Through constructive dialogue, critical citizen engagement, activism and contestations, collective reflection on policy options and committed stewardship by leaders at all level, I am convinced that we can improve the quality and pace of development in Nigeria.'Enugu: Still Waiting For Elusive Palliative BusesFrom Lawrence Njoku, EnuguNORMALCY is returning to Enugu State since the suspension of the strike and protests by workers' union and civil society over the removal of fuel subsidy and the reduction in pump price of petrol from N141 to N97 per litre. Last week, the situation was chaotic following the non-availability of petrol, caused by dealers who hoarded the commodity and refused to sell at regulated price.This forced cost of transportation to move up abysmally, thus making movement difficult for the people. The development forced the state government to set up a taskforce led by state Commissioner for Inter-ministerial Duties, Chuka Utazi, to ensure compliance with government directives as well as ensure that filling stations sell to the public at the regulated rate.The committee, which immediately set out for business began to force those hoarding the products to sell to public at regulated rate as well as close down service stations whose dealers refused to comply. It also ensured that there was regular supply of the commodity to major marketers in the state, to the extent that long queues have now disappeared at the fuel stations.Although the measure has forced down fuel price to N97 from between N160 to N150 per litre, independent marketers still sell at between N100 and N110. Gradually, transport fares are reducing. For instance, a cab drop that charged N500 before the fuel subsidy removal and N1,000 after is now N700. Buses charge according to distance but it has increased from what it used to be.Before removal of subsidy, buses charged N50 but now take between N70 and N80, which is a downward review from N100 when fuel price had not been reduced. Although the federal government palliative buses are yet to arrive at the state, following inability to conclude negotiations on them, the state government has indicated plans to further bring down the prices of transport, as well as reduce sufferings of its residents.At the conclusion of its weekly executive meeting on Wednesday, it resolved to introduce free transport scheme for pupils of the state. The development is to cushion the effect of subsidy removal. And while the state awaits the buses, government also has engaged in consultation with transport owners where an agreement was reached to bring down cost in transport services.While it is not clear when the federal government palliatives would be rolled out, the concentration for now is on the transport sector. On Friday, government commissioned repairs of the Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt rail line to enable it commence full operation. There is also improvement in the supply of electricity within the state and presently, there is less emphasis on the use of generator.Appraising these developments, Southeast Youths Coalition said in Enugu on Friday that they support fully the deregulation of the downstream sector. The group urged governments at all levels to initiate ways of creating employment for the teeming youths.Delta: Prices Refuse To Climb Down Despite PalliativesFrom Hendrix Oliomogbe, AsabaGOING by the speed with which Delta State governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, launched 100 Toyota mini buses to cushion the effects of the recent increase in the pump prices of petrol, it was like the government was fully prepared. There is no doubt that the move was prescient.A litre of petrol, which ballooned to N141 per litre on New Year day from N65, presently sells for N97. Worried by the skyrocketing of transport fares, which went by as much as 200 percent in the wake of the removal of fuel subsidy, Uduaghan promptly commissioned the buses on January 12 and directed commercial transporters who are beneficiaries of the state mass transport scheme to revert to the old transport fares for the sake of the suffering masses.Not one to wait for the delivery of the still elusive state's share of the 1,600 buses, which were promised by President Jonathan, Uduaghan had since set up a three-man Palliatives Committee on the removal of fuel subsidy with boardroom guru, Gamaliel Onosode as chairman, while Chief Philip Asiodu and Mrs. Elizabeth Adegite are members, with the mandate to monitor the implementation of the proceeds from subsidy removal in the state.He passionately pleaded with the transporters to revert to the old fares as the state government would be responsible for the difference in the transport fares before and after the subsidy removal.Making good his threat to ensure that transporters, especially the state-owned Delta Line reduce their fare, the governor paid a surprise visit to the loading bay of the transport company in Asaba on the morning on January 19, where he ordered immediate refund of the difference between the fare charged before the yuletide and the current fare, which have more than doubled.He also warned government parastatals against sabotaging palliative measures put in place to cushion the effects of subsidy removal, noting that all state functionaries found wanting would be sanctioned.Not done yet, Uduaghan promised that his administration will soon take delivery of 50-seater Marco Polo luxury buses while 130 boats will be delivered to the riverine communities in the next few weeks.Sounding upbeat, he declared: 'So far, we have a total of 100 saloon cars for taxis and over 500 buses in the scheme deployed to various areas of the state to improve the transport sector and reduce the stress associated with daily movement of Deltans.'The governor pledged that he would faithfully utilise the state's shares from the subsidy removal to address such critical infrastructure as education by renovating, building and equipping most public schools; reviving the power sector; boosting agriculture; doing a massive construction of durable roads; and providing mobile clinic vehicles and boats.With the public presentation of the keys of the buses to top officials of Delta Transport Service, Agofure Motors, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and representatives of Students' Union bodies, there was no doubt that Uduaghan really meant business.His Communications manager, Paul Odili, noted that before it became necessary for palliatives to be put in place, the governor had thought of it, which is why the state was the first in the country to back its pronouncement with concrete action. 'He is not saying we will put palliatives, no. He is saying, 'this is your palliatives, begin to enjoy it.' This is a remarkable leadership.'EVEN with the determined effort of the state government, transport fares within Asaba metropolis and to other parts of the state, which had more than doubled in the wake of the increase in fuel price still remain high, notwithstanding the reduction in the pump price of petrol after the strike. The prices climbed up in the first week of the New Year but have stubbornly refused to come down.A five minute drive to Ibusa from Asaba, which before now was N50 is currently N100 and Ogwashi-Uku that was N100 before the increase is now N200 from Asaba. The two hours journey from Asaba to Warri, which was N900 before the withdrawal of subsidy is now N1,200.From the Delta State capital to the neighboring Edo State capital of Benin now goesfor N1,000 instead of the erstwhile fare of N600, and a similar trip to the market town of Onitsha, Anambra State just across the River Niger presently goes for N200 as against the previous price of N80.RIVERS: Residents Grieve High Cost Of Food, TransportationFrom Ann Godwin, Port HarcourtBARELY two weeks after the subsidy-induced strike ended, cost of items in the market has remained high. Though federal government has reduced the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from N141 per litre to N97, the reduction, however, has not reflected in the cost of food items.The situation has made life difficult for commuters, thereby forcing them to adjust on the quality and quantity of their feeding, transportation and clothing in order to cope with the painful challenges associated with the subsidy removal.A mother of three, Mrs. Felicia Otuonye, said 'since New Year day, I have adjusted in line with current economic realities. For instance,I have not paid a visit to my tailor this year becausethe price of sowing has gone up; some other niceties too have suffered for the time being. Before now, a blouse was sown between N5,000 to N6,500, but now it is N8,000. So, for now, no new clothes for me. We are trying to see how we can eat and send the children to school.'I see this as a great sacrifice and if it is what we need to do to ensure Nigeria becomes better, we will do it but the important thing is for our leaders not to allow these sacrifices to be in vain. They should not take advantage of these our sacrifices. We are tired of corruption in Nigeria. Our leaders must ensure that Nigeria gets better,' she added.A visit to the hairdressing saloon revealed that the cost of fixing weave on, braiding and nails have doubled. A stylist, Miss Ogechi Sunday, disclosed that a braid style which goes for N5,000 before is now N6,000, while fixing of weavon goes for between N1,500 to N5,000 depending on the style.She added that fixing of nails now cost between N600 to N1,000, unlike the usual N300 to N500.A year three student of Rivers State University of Science, Miss Jenifer Udor said, 'I cannot cope with the cost of making hair these days, which is why I cut my hair. Life has become difficult in Nigeria. As I cut my hair, my colleagues make mockery of me but I don't mind them, I am cutting my coat according to my clothe.'Most barbing saloon visited have also increased the cost of haircut to N200 for childrenand N300 for adult from the usual rate of N150. A barber at Nanka Street, Mile One, Diobu, in Port Harcourt, Mr. Jacob, argued that it was necessary for him to increase his charges to enable him pay his shop rent, which has been increased and also fuel his generator.A drive to the popular Boli joint, otherwise known as roasted plantain, which usually record high patronage, showed a very low turnout of customers. The seller known as Mama Boli explains. 'Plantain is very expensive now; the ones we usually sell for N80 now goes for N120 while the ones we were selling N100 is now N150. Everything is expensive in the market now and we need to increase price to meet up,' she said.She added that the reduction of the price of fuel to N97 per litre did not translate into drop in the cost of foodstuff, transportation and other items.Lagos: The Palliatives We Need Are Good RoadsBy Paul AdunwokeThe Director General/CEO of Africa Centre for Economics and Strategic Studies, who also doubles as the coordinator of all commercial vehicles plying the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, Oluwatoyin Fadoju, has risen in stout defense of commercial bus drivers in Lagos, particularly those plying the routes leading to the airport, that operators are not out to rip Lagosians of their hard-earned money.In a chat with The Guardian, Fadoju said 'it is not true that we fix outrageous prices as we like; instead the amount charged is barely commensurate to the amount spent plying the route, if you consider what we pay at ach bus-stops to NURTW foot-soldiers and policemen. So, you cannot blame the drivers for the slight adjustment in fares.'For instance, when the price of fuel was N65, we used to collect N100 from International Airport road to Mile 2 but when the federal government removed fuel subsidy and fixed price of fuel at N141 per litre, the fare increased to N200 in order to recoup our money.'But immediately after the nationwide strike and price of fuel was reduced to N97, we responded too by bringing down our fare to N150 per passenger, and it has remained so till date. Of course, we couldn't revert back to the old price since the price of fuel never came down to N65 per litre and we cannot afford to lose because what we buy is what we are selling,' he said.The transporters' boss, however, said the union fully supports government's policy on deregulation. 'Nothing good comes easy. Government has told us what they intend to do with the subsidy funds. For us, we are tired of bad road in the country; if the policy would create more jobs as they promised and they also make the roads motorable, government already has our support.'Speaking in the same vein, secretary to Motorcycles Operators Association of Lagos State (MOALS) Ajao Estate branch, Felix Chukwu, said change is a constant in life. 'We cannot buy petrol at N65 per litre forever. Change comes with passing time and when it comes, we have to adjust though it would necessarily not be convenient.'The palliative we want is for government to repair our roads. We have enough buses in Lagos to move people around, but the roads are bad. Once that is done, we would have less complaint to make.
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