Abuja residents are feeling the pinch as the cost of living skyrockets! Food prices, transportation fares, and even electricity bills are becoming unbearable. Many are calling on the government to step in and save the day. Here’s the breakdown:
- Food Prices Soaring: Basic food items are becoming unaffordable.
- Transportation Costs Up: Fuel subsidy removal hits commuters hard.
- Electricity Bills Crazy: New tariff categories dey drain pockets.
- Telecom Tariff Hike Threat: Even phone calls dey become luxury!
Food Don Cost: Families Struggle to Eat
Mothers like Mrs. Amina Suleiman from Garki dey vex. She say feeding her four children don turn serious wahala. Rice, beans, and vegetables don become luxury. One teacher even beg parents to give their children balanced diet, but many parents can only afford carbohydrates. E reach to cry!
Mrs. Nkechi Uchenna, a mother of five, don reduce the number of meals her children dey chop per day. Fish and meat don become occasional treats. Na to choose between availability and quality of food, and e dey painful.
Salary No Reach: Civil Servants Dey Para
Civil servant Mrs. Esther Luka say she barely afford to feed and care for her family with her salary. Dem dey even deduct N31,000 for tax every month! She dey vex say dem no dey see wetin dem dey use the tax money do. She believe say dem suppose use am subsidize food items.
Transportation Wahala: Fuel Subsidy Removal Na Curse?
School clerk Mr. Judy Obialo blame the high cost of food items on the spike in transportation expenses. Since dem remove fuel subsidy, food prices don surge dramatically. Families dey wonder how long dem fit endure the hardship.
Small business owner Mr. John Okoro from Wuse Market say the cost of transporting goods don dey go up. He don increase prices, but customers dey complain and buy less, affecting his income.
Electricity Bill Don High Pass Sky
Retired teacher Mr. Adeolu Alabi from Apo resettlement area dey vex on top the new electricity categorisation. Band A and B dey face exorbitant bills, making air conditioning and other electrical appliances luxury. He dey pay double for electricity, yet light no dey stable. This increase in electricity tariffs means increased operational costs for small business owners, forcing many to shut down or pass the burden onto consumers.
Government, Where Are You?
Commuter Mr. Ibrahim Idris dey beg the government to implement their promise of subsidised buses to citizens. Commuting to the office don almost double in price, affecting his budget for other household necessities.
Telecom Tariff Hike: E Never Finish?
As if the burden of food, electricity, and transport costs no do, the government wan allow telecommunication sector to enforce a hike in telecommunication tariffs. Mr. Sani Yusuf dey fear say even making a simple phone call go become luxury. This go push many into digital darkness!
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) don already oppose the tariff increase, calling it “insensitive” and “unjustifiable.”
Expert Advice: Government Must Act Fast
Financial expert Mr. Ben Chukwuma dey urge the Federal Government to reconsider the implications of its economic policies. He say policies that ensure food security, fair electricity pricing, regulated transport fares, and affordable communication are necessary to prevent further hardship.
Inflation Still Dey Rise
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) say Nigeria’s inflation rate rose to 34.80 per cent in December 2024, reflecting a slight increase from the 34.60 per cent recorded in November 2024. Wahala dey!