- They implore the federal government to take immediate actions to alleviate their suffering
- They assert that life has not been easy since the removal of the fuel subsidy
Some civil servants working in Abuja have bemoaned the high cost of living in the Federal Capital Territory in the wake of the subsidy removal on petrol.
According to NAN, they implored the federal government to take immediate actions to alleviate their suffering, saying life has been tough and rough since the removal of the fuel subsidy.
Those who spoke with journalists said living costs have become unbearable for those residing in the city, hence the need for government intervention to cushion the effects of the present conditions.
Felicia Anthony, who explained her ordeal, said she found it difficult to cope with many challenges ranging from children’s school fees, house rent and, most importantly, transportation to work with her present salary.
“It is my prayer that the federal government should assist citizens because, as it is now, ordinary civil servants can no longer cope with the present salary.
Anthony called on the government to look into ways to check price control of goods and services, as many people were now selling as they wished in the name of fuel subsidy removal.
“I am saying this because it is not everybody who is working as civil servants, even those working at private firms find it so hard at this present time. Something should be done about this because things are getting out of hand,“ she said.
Speaking on the proposed minimum wage increment in 2024, Anthony said it was unreasonable to have removed subsidy when nothing was added to the workers, saying it has caused additional suffering to Nigerians.
“If you removed the subsidy and there was nothing in support of it, it causes more hardship for us.
“There should have been supportive measures on ground first, particularly in the area of transportation, before we even think of minimum wage increment by 2024,” the civil servant said.
Ukwa Denis, another civil servant, said the current economic situation was unbearable not only for the civil servants but for all Nigerians, adding that everyone is buying from the same market, pursuing the same goals of good living.
“The situation has been so hectic in a sense that much consideration was not put in place before the decision of subsidy removal,“ said Mr Denis.
According to him, the nation’s refineries and the petroleum industries could have been resuscitated before any action was taken to reduce the suffering of the subsidy removal.
“And for us as civil servants, our salaries cannot take us anywhere, considering the present economic situations with the meagre salaries we are earning now, so the situation is not something we can cope with anymore,” he said.
Muhammed Idris, another respondent, decried the situation as uncalled for, considering the blessings God had bestowed on the nation.
“It is so disappointing for us as a nation to see what we are passing through today; those who ruled in the past when our refineries were functions, were they not leaders; why can’t we fix our refineries,” he stated.
Mr Idris appealed to President Bola Tinubu to make provisions to salvage the situation, while the repairs of refineries should also be considered a top priority in his administration