‘How fuel Subsidy removal make me drop motorcycle for bicycle’

Naziru Abdullahi wey dey stay Kano for Northwest Nigeria like many across di kontri dey struggle to adapt to di removal of fuel subsidy by di goment wey happun recently.

President Bola Tinubu for im inaugural speech on Monday, 29 May bin declare say “Fuel Subsidy is gone” - and immediately fuel wahala start across Nigeria.

E say "Subsidy no longer fit justify im ever-increasing costs in di wake of drying resources."

Naziru na business man for Kantin Kwari Textile market for Kano.

E tell BBC News Pidgin say for di past four days now na bicycle e dey use go im shop dropping im Bajaj Motorcycle wey pipo know am wit.

“I just calculate evri tin come see say I no go fit sustain to dey buy fuel at N550 naira per litre on di long run.”

“I try buy for a few days come see say I go suffer if I kontinu becos evri day at least N2500 must go on fuel and na small business I get.”

“Na why I just decide to respect myself to get dis bicycle. I bin get am bIfor but I no dey use am until wen dis new fuel price start.”

‘Na to sell di motorcycle dey my mind’

Tinubu say im goment no go fit dey provide di money to subsidize di product plus im dey take di decision becos di 2023 budget no provide for di payment of fuel subsidy from di second half of di year.

E add say under im administration, “dem go re-channel di money from fuel fubsidy into beta investment in public infrastructure, education, health care and jobs wey go materially improve di lives of millions.”

Meanwhile, Naziru tok say at di moment wetin dey im mind na to sell di motorcycle.

“I don already dey tok wit buyer and at di moment di motorcycle even dey im hand na just for us to agree price.”

“At di moment I no dey see myself using a motorcycle wit dis new fuel price na to kontinu to dey use my bicycle dey go.”

Naziru say e dey aware say some pipo dey tok about im new style but e no care.

“Both my neighbours for house and business, I hear say some dey tok about my lifestyle change but I no care.”

“I no go do wetin I know say I go suffer just to impress some pipo.”

How subsidy removal dey affect Nigerians

Nigerians bin dey hope say President Bola Tinubu goment go clear di air about im speech and wait till June ending wey former President Muhammadu Buhari bin announce say e go stop.

But to di surprise of everybody Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited(NNPCL) bring out new prices of petrol wey start from almost 500 to above 500 naira per liter depending on di state wey you dey.

Dis announcement make am hard for transporters wey no fit afford to buy petrol again as di price almost triple.

Di price rise from 185 naira to over 500 naira per litre.

Na dis development come affect di prices of transportation as bus fares don almost triple.

Many pipo dey complain say dem no fit manage di money wey dem dey earn as transport fare don increase due to di increase in price of fuel.

President Tinubu during im meeting wit di govnors under di All Progressives govnor say dem gatz review di minimun wage to refelect di kontri realities.

Goment for Kwara State, Nigeria reduce di numbers of days wey public servants for di state go dey go office for now.

Dis, di goment dey hope say go help reduce di suffer-suffer wey dem dey pass thru sake of di petrol subsidy removal wey Nigeria goment do.

From five days, public servants for di North Central state go now work for three days.

Edo state also join Kwara to reduce work days for public workers.

Wetin be Fuel Subsidy?

Fuel subsidy na form of goment intervention to reduce di cost of fuel.

Goment dey provide direct financial support to oil companies, so dem go fit reduce di price of di product to consumers (Nigerians) to make am dey affordable for dem.

Nigeria na one of Africa largest producers of crude oil and e dey rely heavily on dis resource for dia economic growth.

Sake of say Nigeria no get refinery, dem gatz export dia crude oil go anoda kontri come import di refined crude oil. Di money wey dem go take refine dis crude oil dey expensive and make e for no be burden on consumers, goment dey pay some part of di money to marketers.

Dia fore goment dey control di price and na di amount dem tell marketers to sell, dem go sell am.

Dis na how common pipo dey benefit from goment, according to dem.

Di official reason for oil subsidy na to reduce di effect of rising global oil prices on Nigerians.

Fuel subsidy don dey di kontri since di 1970s.

E become normal tin for 1977, under di regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo wit di promulgation of di Price Control Act wey make am illegal for some products (including petrol) to dey sold above di regulated price.

Between 2006-2018, Nigeria don spend about 10 trillion Naira on petroleum subsidies.