A heavy wave of financial strain has hit Federal Capital Territory (FCT) workers as the recent petrol price hike forces many civil servants to abandon their personal vehicles for public transport, staff buses, and carpooling.

The pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in Abuja has skyrocketed from its previous range of N1,180 – N1,350 per litre to a new high of N1,388 – N1,450 per litre.

An investigation by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) revealed that the sudden spike has triggered a corresponding surge in transport fares, eating deeply into workers` stagnant monthly salaries and threatening workforce productivity.

From Car Owners to Public Commuters

For many car-owning federal workers, driving to the office has officially become a luxury they can no longer afford. Mr. Olamide Ibrahim, a civil servant who used to augment his fuel costs by picking up commercial passengers, revealed that the math no longer adds up.

"I normally buy fuel of N24,000 daily to commute to and from work, but since this recent hike, I need N33,500 daily for the same quantity," Ibrahim lamented. "Everybody is looking for cheaper ways to survive. I have decided to stop driving to work entirely."

Feeding Budgets Diverted to Transport Fares

The reality is equally bleak for workers reliant on public transport. Mrs. Comfort Abegunde told NAN that the hike has forced her to reallocate critical household funds just to get to the office.

"Higher fuel costs have pushed up food prices. I am now forced to divert money meant for food and other household needs into transport fares," Abegunde said. She warned that the situation is actively damaging civil service efficiency: "I presently struggle to secure affordable transportation to work, and this is heavily affecting my attendance and productivity."

Another worker, Mrs. Falmata Musa, noted that her daily commuting cost jumped from N,2500 to N3,500 almost overnight, throwing her entire household budget into disarray.

Stagnant Salaries vs. Skyrocketing Inflation

Civil servants Muhammad Lawal and Shim Felix both re-echoed the grim sentiment that disposable incomes have practically vanished.

"My salary has remained the same while the cost of transportation and other essential items continue to rise," Lawal said, noting that school fees, utility bills, and food security are being heavily compromised.

Felix added that because reporting to work is mandatory, transportation is an unavoidable expense consuming an unsustainable percentage of a worker`s income.

Workers Cry Out for Intervention

To survive the economic crunch, FCT civil servants have resorted to extreme coping mechanisms, including relying strictly on the Abuja metro rail network, crowding into available staff buses, and forming strict carpooling clusters.

Organised labor and workers have urgently appealed to the Federal Government to roll out immediate palliative measures. Their core demands include the rapid deployment of a robust, subsidized public transportation system and policy interventions to crash the soaring cost of living before the civil service fractures under the pressure. (NAN)