Motorists, traders protest hike in pump price, scarcity of new naira notes in Enugu

Some motorists and traders in Enugu State on Wednesday protested the increase in pump price and scarcity of new naira notes in banks.

The protesters said the filling station owners kept hiking the prices on daily basis while others hoard theirs.

Correspondent, who monitored the development, reports that the protest which began along Gariki and Agbani road in Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State hindered vehicular movement of people going to Old Park and New Market.

The protest also spread to Ogbete Market, Ogui Road, New Haven and Independence Layout which forced shops and some offices were seen closed for fear of looting and destruction.

The protesters were seen discharging passengers from incoming buses as a way of forcing them to join the protest while private vehicles put green leaves in their cars in solidarity.

They noted that the scarcity of new naira notes in banks which had made life difficult for people to transact businesses.

It was also reports that many filling stations are now selling a litre  of fuel between N450 and N500 while some others were closed.

Some of the drivers who spoke to journalists said the suffering they were going through to get a product that God blessed Nigeria with were too much for them stressing that something needed to be done urgently to salvage the situation.

A tricycle rider, Emeka Ugwu, said that incessant increase in pump price was no longer acceptable, noting that filling station owners/ marketers took Nigerians for granted.

“How can we buy fuel N400 yesterday and today it has risen to N500, and we the motorists are saying no to impunity.

“By tomorrow, if they did not return to the normal price, we will give out their fuel to people free of charge,” he threatened.

Another driver who simply gave his name as Emmanuel said they were just expressing their anger over certain anomalies in the state.

He said, “If you want to buy fuel, they will tell you to use Point of Sales (POS) whereas, the queue is much and if you go to bank you will spend the whole day before it will get to your turn.”

Chidiebere Njoku called on government to make the product available, appealed to oil marketers in the state to start selling their product to alleviate their plight.

He added that, “If I buy fuel at N500, how much will i tell the passenger i am carrying to pay,” he asked.

A trader, Mrs Obiageli Chikwelu, said she could not buy her wares due to lack of cash adding that bank apps were not working due to network problems.

Reports that the chaos forced many filling stations and some   shops and offices to close to avoid destruction.

Meanwhile, police operatives were seen in New Haven trying to stop the protest from escalating.