As the price of premium motor spirit (PMS) also known as petrol continue to spike affecting every sector of the economy, small scale business owners in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State have expressed their plight over the deplorable situation.

These business people decry the impoverishment being meted out on them, lamenting that due to this anomaly, they have been a steady decline in the number of small scale business owners.

In different chats with Kristina Reports on Saturday, July 29, 2023, some of the business owners in the area narrated how the hike in petrol pump price was greatly affecting their businesses and making them run deficits.

A food vendor, who only identified herself as Madam Faith, told Kristina Reports that the increase in pump price of fuel has affected her business as food stuffs are on a steady increase, making it very difficult to purchase or maintain the price of her food.

“If you go to buy something, dem go add money inside the things, dem carry the fuel issue put for business, if you decide to go another place, e even worst sef because transportation don too cost.”

She explained that some customers refuse to remit money owed after consuming the food they bought, stating that most times quarrel breaks out because of this.

“The customers dem too when dem eat finish, to pay na wahala, dem go dey count how the fuel dey affect their business; because of N200, you go waka 10 times. If you quarrel with some people, you no go see your money.

“Everything just tough, if I try cook, I chop, the remaining one I carry am sell dey manage my life.”

The food vendor beckoned on the government to look into the plight of business owners, saying it calls for drastic measures to be taken, appealing for the nation’s borders to be opened, saying that it will help businesses to flourish again.

“Wetin I wan talk be say make government try for us, make dem reduce the price so that everything go less. If you wan chop, at least N200, N500 you go use am chop better thing wey go sustain you for the meantime.”

“So that business people go fit know say dem dey do business. At least make dem open border so that food go dey enter even poor man go see food chop.”

Another business owner, Mina Kiri, who is a grinder, also complained of low patronage, complaining that the high cost of transportation is making his customers to run away, calling on the government to salvage the situation so that those who do not have the wherewithal can fit it.

“This thing has affected my business in so many ways, it has brought low patronage. We don’t know what is happening, people are not coming around again because of transportation.”

“How will you be in your own country like this buying fuel at N600 per litre? It’s not good, government should try and bring these things down so the common man can afford it. I use both fuel and diesel to run my machine but it’s not easy.”

Reacting again, an indigene of Okrika, who preferred anonymity, described the situation as a chain reaction, noting that the fuel price increase affects other sectors of the economy such as education, agriculture, and transportation, among others.

“If you are a farmer, you need to transport your farm produce through vehicles and all that, so this fuel subsidy removal has adverse effect on everybody.”

Concerned citizen stated that the crisis has led to ruins in business, emphasising that those who major in frozen food stuffs are the most hit.

“Before, they run their plants for 24 hours but it has drastically reduced to six hours. Some of these items which were supposed to be frozen will get bad and making them run into losses.”