Ahmed Satomi, the representative for Jere Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has taken action of enlisting the help of 15 petrol stations to provide fuel to commercial tricyclists and motorists at a reduced rate of N430 per litre.
Currently, fuel is being sold by marketers in Maiduguri within the range of N635 to N655 per litre. Satomi’s intervention aims to alleviate the burden caused by the removal of fuel subsidies in the state.
The arrangement involves these contracted filling stations selling a total of 37,500 litres of petrol at N430 per litre. Additionally, they will subsidize the remainder to balance the market prices.
Nur Lawan, the chairman of the petroleum palliative committee, stood in for Satomi during the announcement. He emphasized that the support is crucial because many tricycle riders and transporters have struggled to sustain their businesses due to the surging fuel costs.
One of the keke Napep operators, Abdullahi Mohammed, expressed optimism about this initiative. He suggested that if other lawmakers and government officials could follow suit, it would help them recover their capital and operate their businesses more affordably. This, in turn, would benefit passengers as lower operating costs would lead to reduced fares.
