Uche Nebuwa, the national president of the Heavy-Duty Truck Drivers Association, says there will be no remedy to the hike in the pump price of fuel caused by subsidy removal unless old refineries are repaired, condemning President Bola Tinubu government’s superficial palliatives to lessen the suffering of the masses.

Mr Nebuwa stated this during the inauguration of the Uzoeghelu motor park, at Ugwu Nwasike-Nkwo market, along old Onitsha-Enugu road, Ogidi, Idemili North LGA, Anambra, on Thursday.

“Fuel hike is a very big problem to us transporters; President Bola Tinubu would have consulted us before the removal of the fuel subsidy. No palliatives will solve this issue of hike in fuel pump price except the old refineries are repaired,” stated Mr Nebuwa.

He pointed out that the alleged distribution of solar lights as palliatives “would not have any positive effect on Nigerians; rather, it will worsen” the situation.

Mr Nebuwa added, “They just introduced that to calm frayed nerves for now. But it will not work as everybody is crying, and it has also caused more harm than good to the present socio-political and economic quagmire that we are trying to set ourselves free from.”

Augustine Udeozor, the zonal chairman of the South-East National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), said the hike in the petrol pump price “is a general disease that can only be cured by the federal government because the masses are suffering.”

Mr Udeozor explained that “something should be done immediately to alleviate the suffering imposed on us in the name of making an effort to rectify the socio-economic and political quagmire.”

(NAN)