Residents of Ondo have continued to lament over the new pump price of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as “petrol,” by President Bola Tinubu-led federal government.

On Tuesday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) jerked up the pump prices of petrol to N617 per litre from N500 per litre.

A Peoples Gazette reporter, who monitored the development in Ondo, observed that many residents decried the hardship that would follow the increment in the fuel price.

A few of them who spoke in a brief chat knocked Mr Tinubu’s government for increasing the petrol price without considering the plight of Nigerians.

They said the new increment of petrol to N617 per litre would further cause untold hardship and give room for high prices of commodities and essential goods.

A civil servant in the state, Ayodele Olufemi, described the increment in the pump price as another attempt to suffer Nigerians, especially in the face of the current economic realities.

Mr Olufemi, who noted that he voted for Mr Tinubu in the last presidential election, explained that the increment in pump price would ‘kill Nigerians.’

“We didn’t elect President Bola Tinubu to inflict us with this suffering. This new price is killing and it’s a policy that doesn’t have human face at all.

“I am calling on the President to better review this price immediately before people troop out to the streets and protest against his government. I didn’t join others to elect him to increase our suffering,” he said.

Another resident, Ruth Omolere, noted that the increment in the fuel price is “shocking and a disaster”, arguing that the poor would suffer the action of the new government more.

“Honestly, this is another disaster in the pipeline. How on earth will they increase fuel prices again? We suffered the 8 years of Muhammadu Buhari’s government. We want to start suffering again.

“Many of us could not take our children to school when they removed the fuel subsidy and was selling at over N500 per litre. Now they have increased the price again. They should have mercy on poor Nigerians before it is too late.”

However, The Gazette observed that most of the filling stations within the state capital, Akure, had begun to shut all their doors against consumers in anticipation of the new pump price.

Although, the few ones that sold the commodity on Tuesday witnessed long queues at their entrance as they were dispensing between N580 and N600 per litre.

A commercial motorcyclist, Kunle Momoh, who bought the petrol at the rate of N600 per litre, said the federal government is calling for a ‘revolution’ by further increasing the price.

Mr Momoh added, “I bought the product for N600 per litre today as against the initial N500 per litre here in Akure. It’s annoying that the government is increasing the price of fuel again.

“This is a disaster and I don’t know how this government want us to cope with this. Now, transport fares and prices of commodities would also go up. I think this government is asking us to pour on the street. They want the people to rise against them.”

Already, transportation fares in the state have continued to shoot up significantly as the residents grappled with the ripple effect of the increase in the price of the product.

The drivers plying some of the major streets in the state hiked their fares by 100 per cent, depending on the distance.

Some distances that were hitherto N100 have now become N200 as a result of the fuel hike.

On May 29, President Tinubu had, during his inaugural speech, announced the removal of fuel subsidy, noting that the money saved from it would be channelled into developing the country.