Residents of Ejigbo Local Government Area of Osun State have expressed concern over the high cost of transportation and foodstuffs despite the recent reduction in petrol prices nationwide.
The residents raised the issue during discussions on a WhatsApp platform tagged Ejigbo TV, noting that transport fares within and outside the town have remained unchanged since the fuel subsidy removal.
Reacting to the development, Jimoh Taofeek Akintayo of Ayedun Community Development Association, Ejigbo, stated that transport fares and the prices of basic items in the area have not reduced in line with the drop in fuel prices, thereby worsening the hardship faced by residents.
Akintayo noted that transport fares were sharply increased following the fuel subsidy removal and have remained the same despite the subsequent reduction in petrol prices.
He added that the fare from Ejigbo to Osogbo has stayed at ₦1,700 since the subsidy removal, while motorcycle fares remain at ₦500, with some operators charging as high as ₦1,000.
He also pointed out that food prices in Ejigbo have remained high, even with reports of a decline in inflation, and called on the Ejigbo Local Government Development Area authority to intervene.
Akintayo urged the National Union of Road Transport Workers and the Association of Commercial Motorcycle Riders of Nigeria in Ejigbo to review transport fares to reflect current fuel prices, noting that similar adjustments have been observed in some neighboring towns.
He emphasized that addressing the issue would ease the burden on residents, stimulate local economic activities, and encourage investment in the area.
Fuel subsidy removal was announced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu shortly after his inauguration, leading to a sharp increase in petrol prices nationwide.
The development triggered higher transportation costs, which in turn affected the prices of foodstuffs and other commodities, with many of these costs yet to decline despite recent fuel price adjustments.
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