"In this country, once the price of fuel is increased, it affects prices of every other commodity in the market."
Some residents of Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, have expressed worry over the sudden increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in the state.
When the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) visited some filling stations on Tuesday, the product was sold between N200 and N230 per litre as against the official pump price of N185.
Many filling stations in the state have continued to hoard the products, making the situation tougher for residents.
The residents expressed worry and urged the federal government to intervene to reduce the suffering of the residents.
James Odoh, a commercial driver, told NAN that the sudden hike was worrisome, especially now that the Christmas celebration was fast approaching.
"You know, in this country, once the price of fuel is increased, it affect prices of every other commodities in the market. Though, the price of food items had been on the increase before now but this cost of fuel is causing more difficulties.
"I am a driver and it bites harder every day. You pay through your nose to buy fuel, in the end, you won't have the gains.
"It is not easy to survive this heat, but man must work. The prices of transportation are yet to be increased. The fare to Enugu, Port Harcourt, and Abuja are still the same.
"Enugu is between N1000 and N1, 200, Port Harcourt, between N4, 500 and N5, 000, while Abuja is between N8, 000 and N15, 000 respectively, depending on the transporters.
"The expenses at hand have doubled. You buy food at high cost and you service your vehicle at high cost. The government should come to the aid of the poor masses," Mr Odoh said.
Mary Okoro, a stay-at-home parent, said it was necessary to set up a monitoring team and taskforce to checkmate the situation.
Monday Chukwu, a teacher, urged the federal government and the Petroleum Products Price Regulatory Agencies to urgently address the rising cost of petroleum products.
Mr Chukwu expressed fear that the current cost of fuel would affect transport fares, especially during the Yuletide.
