Fuel price hike: Nigerian workers seek salary increase

As a result of the increase in the price of fuel, some federal and state civil servants have urged their respective governments to increase salaries in order to alleviate their plight.

The workers said the appeal was necessary because transportation and product prices had also skyrocketed when they spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews on Friday in Katsina.

Malam Abdullahi Balarabe, a Federal Government employee in Katsina, claimed that prices for goods had doubled as a result of the increase in fuel prices.

Balarabe claimed that items he would typically purchase for N200 were now being sold for between N300 and N400, adding that this posed a significant hardship for low-paid civil servants.

“As you know, despite the increase in the pump price of fuel and the increase in the prices of foodstuffs and other goods, our salaries have remained the same.

“Before the current increase in prices, the salaries of many of us could not even sustain us to the next salary day. Some of us spend our salaries on payment of credits,” he said.

Mr Edwin Michael, also a federal civil servant, said that he had to park his vehicle to walk to the office because some of the fuel stations sold petrol for more than N184 a litre.

“We are appealing to the Federal Government to do everything possible to increase workers’ salaries to cover the deficit in our monthly take-home.

“If I now go to the market with my salary I don’t think it will be enough for me to buy what I used to buy before the current increase in the prices of goods,“ he said.

Also, Malam Adamu Ibrahim, a state civil servant, said that the situation was beyond description, adding that only God could intervene.

He said that his salary as an office assistant could hardly sustain him for the month.

Ibrahim also called on the state government to increase the salaries of its workers, especially those in the lower grades.

A visit by NAN to the Katsina Central Market showed that traders had increased the prices of foodstuffs and other goods.

Malam Isma’il Garba, one of the traders, said the increase in the prices of goods was due to a hike in transport fares.

A litre of fuel now sells for between N184 and N220 in petrol stations in the state.