Scarcity: Transport Fares Hike In Cross River As Fuel Sells For N170

By Laureta Akpan

Transport fares across Cross River State have risen astronomically following the lingering scarcity of fuel with almost all the fueling stations selling almost double the regulated N86 and N86.50k for major and independent marketers respectively CrossRiverWatch can authoritatively report.

Findings revealed that excluding the NNPC fuelling stations in Calabar, Ikom and Ogoja with a few other major marketers numbering less than ten, every other marketer sells a litre of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly referred to as fuel or petrol for between N150 and N170 with some even displaying N86.50 on their dispensers but will quickly tell you the amount they have been instructed to sell.

Fares across the state have risen between 30 to 50 percent with motorists pinning it on the pump price of PMS and bad roads. “Why will we want to hike prices unnecessarily?” queries Aniah, a commercial motorist who plies the Obudu to Calabar route, “The higher the pump price, the need for us to hike transportation fares in order to meet up with maintenance demands and also make profit” he adds.

The story is same elsewhere according to reports by correspondents and news sources across the 18 local government areas that make up the state.

Calabar to Akamkpa which usually costs N200 is now between N300 and N500 while to Ugep which was N400 to N600 is now between N500 and N700. Obubra from Calabar which was between N800 and N900 is now between N1200 and N1500 while Obubra from Akamkpa is now between N900 and N1100.

Ikom and Ogoja to and from Calabar now go for between N2000 and N2500 respectively while Obudu from Calabar is between N2500 and N3000. Ikom to Obudu which used to be between N700 and N800, has increased to between N1000 and N1200. Ogoja from Ikom is now N1000, rising N200 from N800.

All the fuelling stations in Etung, Boki, Obanliku, Obudu and Bekwarra local government areas sell at a pump price of between N160 and N170 with the manager of two fuelling stations informing CrossRiverWatch that; “DPR (Department of Petroleum Resources) has not visited northern Cross River for years! We are used to state and local government task force teams who come in once in a while” says one, “DPR? Those ones are Abuja boys na, na task force dey here and all they need most times is settlement” adds the other.

As at press time, CrossRiverWatch was yet to get comments from the Cross River State field office of the DPR as staff in their office had gone for the Easter break and are yet to return.