A caller on a radio programme on Fresh FM, 102.9 Akure, on Thursday, broke down in tears as reactions continue to trail the steep increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol, by President Bola Tinubu-led federal government. 

Identifying himself as ‘Awilo’, the radio caller, who described the increase of petrol to N500 to N617 per litre as “satanic”, said the development has made life unbearable for his family and many other poor Nigerians.

“How do they want us to survive this hardship with this increment again? It’s satanic and this is also unfair, it’s a big punishment for the Nigerian masses. What exactly is our offence? Did we vote for this man (Tinubu) to suffer us? Why always the poor? We can’t cope any longer. Honestly, we cannot cope. This hardship is just too much. We’re in pain,” he cried, as the anchor begged him to control his tears on radio.

He explained that with the increase in the pump price, the living standards of the people would now nosedive even as the government was yet to provide the necessary palliatives to the citizens to mitigate the effect of the subsidy removal.

As Nigerians continue to suffer the consequential effect unleashed on them by the fuel subsidy removal, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), on Tuesday, jerked up the pump prices of petrol to N617 per litre from N500 per litre.

Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, had attributed the rise in petrol pump rice in the country to market forces, saying that the increase was not based on a short supply of fuel.

Mr Kyari said, “They are just prices depending on the market realities. This is the meaning of making sure that the market regulates itself. Prices will go up and sometimes they will come down also.

“No, there is no supply issue. It is not a supply issue. When you go to the market, you buy the product, you come to the market and sell it at its prevailing market price. It has nothing to do with supply. We don’t have supply issues.”

But many Nigerians have refused to buy into the explanation of Mr Kyari on the new petrol price as many have continued to kick against the government of Mr Tinubu, who announced the removal of fuel subsidy on May 29, without providing palliatives to cushion the effect.