A member of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Haruna Jilantikiri, has opted for an electric bicycle, instead of a car due to the high cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol, SaharaReporters has learnt.
The lawmaker, who is also the Chief Whip of the state House of Assembly was on Thursday sighted on his electric bicycle while on his way to work.
In Adamawa State, northeast Nigeria, petrol now sells for between N550 and N700 per litre following the removal of subsidy.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited on Wednesday announced that it had adjusted its pump prices of petrol at its retail outlets across the country to reflect the fuel subsidy removal.
According to the NNPCL list, fuel should go for N550 per litre in the state. Meanwhile, before the latest increment, the highest price for petrol in the state was N245 per litre.
However, the lawmaker who represents Madagali State Constituency, told SaharaReporters that he opted for an electric bicycle instead of his personal car to run his daily activities due to the hike in the price of petrol.
Speaking to SaharaReporters in an emotion laden voice, the legislator lamented that “the product is currently being sold at the sum of N550 to N700 per litre at filling stations including that of the government, I do not think that Nigerians can afford it”.
“We are supposed to pack our cars and use bicycles to identify with the electorate because I don’t think they can afford to drive cars or ride motorcycles any longer,” Jilantikiri added.
He, therefore, appealed to the Nigerian Government to urgently address the issue and ameliorate the hardship being faced by the public due to the increment.
Meanwhile, vehicular traffic has drastically reduced on virtually all roads within Yola, the state capital.
There are also geometric hikes in the cost of transportation, foodstuffs, other commodities, as well as services.
For instance, a ride in a commercial tricycle which previously cost N100 within Yola now costs N300.
Also, a bag of maize which used to cost N25,000 now goes for N37,000.
Aminu Usman, a civil servant, described the issue as catastrophic.
He said, “I’m a daily rated staff member of the state government, on little above N15,000 take-home pay. And with the current reality, I require N8,000 to go to work for 20 days, every month; this certainly is unsustainable.”