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Gbenga Oloniniran
The Nigerian Medical Association, Lagos State chapter, has said that the hike in fuel price in the country could drive more Nigerians into depression, leading to a rise in the rate of hospital admission.
The association called on the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to address the petrol price hike and end fuel importation in Nigeria.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited hiked the petrol price to N855 and above across its retail outlets nationwide on Tuesday.
Some independent marketers also now sell the product for as much as N1,200 and N1,300/litre in some states following the upward review of prices by the NNPCL.
The Lagos NMA, in a Thursday statement by its Chairman, Dr. Babajide Saheed, lamented that the decision had imposed further unbearable hardship on Nigerians, including medical doctors and dentists.
Saheed said many members of the NMA were being forced to leave the country in droves due to the economic situation, adding that the recent development would only exacerbate their ordeals.
“The hike in PMS prices comes at a time when Nigerians are enduring unprecedented economic pressures. The impact of this decision will ripple across all sectors, further deepening the mental, social, and emotional stress that citizens are currently experiencing.
“With inflation rates soaring and the cost of living at an all-time high, the sudden spike in petrol prices will not only increase the poverty level across the country but also contribute to rising rates of depression, hospital admissions related to stress-induced medical conditions, social unrest, and even mortality,” the chairman said.
The NMA, therefore, called on President Tinubu to “urgently intervene in this matter. We urge him to prioritise the welfare of Nigerians by immediately reversing the price hike of PMS to its previous level.”
According to Saheed, such a move will provide much-needed relief to NMA members and the general public, “who are struggling under the weight of the recent removal of petrol subsidy, escalating inflation, rampant insecurity, high electricity tariffs, and excessive taxation on wages.”
“It is high time Nigeria moved towards self-sufficiency in the production of petroleum products, including PMS. “We urge the government to expedite efforts to end the importation of petrol and focus on revitalising our local refineries,” Saheed added.
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