Hello friends. Happy New Year.
I guess it's no longer news that the Federal Government has magnaminously given us the New Year gift of the reduction of fuel prices by an unprecedented amount of 50 kobo - 1 Naira (depending on whether you're buying from a NNPC station or from independent marketers). The subsidy removal that led us to #OccupyNigeria has finally happened and everyone is busy occupying the front row of their sitting rooms, lol. Seriously, I guess the best time to do away with subsidy payment is now that global oil prices are really low. I still need some explanation, though, on what happens to the ~ 1.4 Naira/litre difference between the Expected Open Market Price (EOMP) and the retail price that is purportedly remitted to the Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) as "negative subsidy". How transparent is this fund? How are we sure that it won't be looted?
Also, I need someone to please explain how the FG can remove subsidy and still regulate pump prices. I'll have thought that deregulation would be the next step after subsidy removal. This price-fixing stifles competition and the end user gets the short end of the stick na. Abi?
Well, let me now enter my gist. As I was heading to church, the first bus I entered was trying to charge me twice the normal fare. It didn't even occur to me to ask why. I sharply alighted from the bus and went to the next bus that charged the correct fare.
As I was heading home, the "conductor" of the first bus decided to fight a passenger that didn't pay the complete fare while holding ALL the money he had in his hands. Thankfully, that passenger was not a criminal. When he returned to the bus, the rest of us jokingly pointed out to him that he was penny wise and pound foolish, lol.
The driver of the second bus I entered told me the trip would cost 10 Naira more than the regular fare. I asked the driver why considering the fact that pump prices had been reduced. He claimed that it was hard getting fuel from the filling stations. Someone quickly told him that's a lie (how true is that?). One of the passengers then said "It's just 10 Naira difference na". I quickly retorted that that's how we encourage the tyranny of the bus drivers...I insisted I was going to pay what I considered a fair price...
As the bus moved, the lady that had spoken earlier greeted me. She turned out to be a friend I made while I was in secondary (high) school. No, I wasn't sorry I spoke up...It's not like she PSID my fare sef...
One bros in the bus was just blowing "fone". He was telling the driver not to run the traffic light...Thankfully, the driver listened to him that time.
As I alighted from the bus, I gave the driver what I believed was the fair price. He claimed he had asked me to come down if I couldn't pay his price. It was a bare-faced lie. I thought of insisting on my own way but I realised it was getting dark quickly. Rather than being penny wise, pound foolish, I decided to add the 10 Naira and get away from there as quickly as possible.
I'm just wondering why transport fares keep increasing whenever there is a change (positive or negative) in pump prices. Who will save us from the tyranny of the bus drivers that determine transport fares without following any particular logic? I think the transportation sector needs price-fixing more than the petroleum sector. Abi?
Welcome to my world...
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