By Our Reporter
Chief Sunny Onuesoke, former gubernatorial aspirant of Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State, has tackled the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) for hiking transportation cost despite the reduction on fuel pump price.
He says by this action, NURTW was deliberately imposition of hardship on Nigerians by refusing to lower cost of transportation.
Onuesoke speaking to Journalists on the economic hardship in the country, admitted it was being induced by the high cost of transportation.
He lambasted the transport union, saying when fuel was at N1500, transportation fares witnessed astronomical increase which the union attributed to the high energy cost.
The PDP chieftain said the pump price is currently hovering between N840 and N870, wondering why the transporters have refused to lower their costs, saying instead, they are even increasing the fares around the country, particularly mentioning Warri, his base as a case study, even as he explained that he had reached people around to the country who lamented the arbitrary increase in the cost of transportation.
While exonerating the ruling All Progressives Congress-led government of any blame on this, he called on President Bola Tinubu to call the union to order, saying their refusal to align their cost with contemporary realities would attract the wrath of Nigerians who are bearing the brunt of harsh economic situation in the country.
Chief Onuesoke said; “For fuel, people keep blaming Tinubu and APC government but fail to see the problem. Like in Warri here, in some places we buy at N850, some places N870. And we are complaining that things are high today,” he said.
“Before, the fuel was N1500 and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) had astronomical increase in the transport fare which added some additional cost to goods and services, particularly agricultural produce because of logistics issues in bringing them from rural areas to urban cities.
“But today, the fuel has come down to N840; some are selling N850 and some are selling N870; so why are transport people, I mean National Union of Road Transport Workers, not reducing their cost of transportation?
“When it was N1500, they said the fuel was high, now the price is going to almost half of N1500, N870, like here in Warri, I am surprised that the transport fares of Okada, keke and other intra bus services are astronomically still going too high. The prices of beans, rice, garri and other foodstuffs are reducing but I am surprised that the cost of transportation is going even higher.
“With this, we are asking the NURTW to put their transportation fare in according with the realities but if they don’t, they will be looking for the trouble of Nigerians.
“I am calling on the Federal Government to call the National Union of Road Transport Workers to order and for them to check their transportation cost unless they want to incure the anger of Nigerians.
“I am not blaming the APC government this time, I am blaming the NURTW and at the same time calling on the Federal Government led by Tinubu to do something in this regard and ensure that the transport union calls their members to order over the continued price increase.
“I want to say that the Federal Government should let them know that if they fail to reduce their transport cost because even in Lagos, I called a friend and he confirmed that fuel sells between N840 to N870, they will test the patience of Nigerians which won’t be good.
“I honestly wonder why they have refused to reduce their cost even when the prices of all other goods and services have come down.
“I am not saying we are happy with the level the pump price has come down; there is an improvement but the transport union has refused to lower their cost which is putting additional hardship on Nigerians,” he lamented.
