In a recent public address, Uche Nebuwa, National President of the Heavy Duty Truck Drivers Association, asserted that there would be no solution to the rising cost of fuel, instigated by the removal of fuel subsidy, unless the country’s outdated refineries are rehabilitated.
His remarks were made at the unveiling ceremony of Uzoeghelu General Motor Park, located in Ugwu Nwasike/Nkwo Market, on the historic Onitsha-Enugu road in the Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, on Thursday.
Nebuwa expressed the increasing fuel prices as a significant impediment for not just the transportation sector, but the entire Nigerian populace.
“We transporters are greatly affected by the surge in fuel prices. We should have been consulted by President Bola Tinubu before deciding on the removal of the fuel subsidy,” Nebuwa stated.
He dismissed palliatives as a viable solution to the fuel price hike, insisting that the restoration of the old refineries is the sole effective remedy.
He criticized the proposal to distribute solar lights as a palliative measure, claiming it would only exacerbate the situation. “They’ve proposed this merely as a temporary measure to soothe the public, but it won’t be effective. The hardship caused has outweighed any potential benefits, further complicating the socio-political and economic crisis we’re attempting to break free from,” he opined.
Nebuwa, while commenting on the inauguration of the motor park, viewed it as a part of the state government’s effort to instill order on the road. He made it clear that no form of hooliganism would be tolerated within the premises, as it is designed to cater to travelers both within and outside the state.
Augustine Udeozor, Southeast Zonal Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), described the fuel price surge as a ‘general disease’ that could only be cured by the Federal Government.
“With the inauguration of this expansive park, business is expected to kick-off fully by Friday,” stated Obiegbu Ikeobi, Chairman of the Njikoka Local Government Area Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, during his earlier address.
