Fuel Hike: Regulate food prices to reduce sufferings, Aba residents tell govt

Some residents in Aba have appealed to the federal government to regulate the prices of foodstuffs and other household commodities to ameliorate sufferings of Nigerians.

Some of the residents who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews on Wednesday, said that the recent increases in fuel prices had further pushed food prices out of reach of many households.

Mr Chris Mlebedim said that the increase in the pump price of fuel to N617.00 per litre on Tuesday was unnecessary and a further step to impoverish the people.

“He just came on board and without proper economic planning, he is increasing the price of fuel and consequent price hikes is causing much pain on the people.

“And while looking at solutions to the problems, he is talking of sharing N8, 000 to few Nigerian households and increasing salaries.

“These cannot solve the problem of poverty these increases are now causing; he should seek the help of economists to save the situation including reducing food prices”, Mlebedim said.

Speaking in the same vein, Mrs Chinyere Okonkwo, a housewife, said that it was becoming very hard for her and her husband to feed their family of five twice daily.

She said that they have decided to take their children to public schools next session because life had now become unbearable as their joint incomes could no longer meet their needs.

Also, Mr Obere Nkemakolam said that the government should be merciful on the poor and suffering Nigerians in order not to risk a rise in deaths and suicides.

“If nothing is done to ease people’s hardships, I bet that death rates will rise in Nigeria because many will die of heart-attack, hunger and diseases”, he said.