By Becky Usman
In a shocking turn of events, the removal of subsidies in Taraba state has plunged civil servants into a nightmarish struggle to make ends meet. Unable to bear the exorbitant costs of maintaining their vehicles, these desperate individuals have resorted to selling off their prized possessions in a desperate bid for survival.
Since the fuel subsidy was eradicated, the price of this essential commodity has soared by an astronomical 100 percent, leaving civil servants in the state grappling with an impossible situation. The current pump price for fuel ranges between a staggering N550,000 to N570,000, while Taraba remains one of the countless states that have failed to implement the much-needed national minimum wage of N30,000.
A cursory visit to various car stands in Jalingo, the capital city, reveals a disturbing trend. An astonishing 42 percent of the vehicles put up for sale in the past three weeks belong to civil servants toiling away for the state or local government council. It’s an unprecedented flood of cars hitting the market, and the consequences are dire.
Overwhelmed by the influx of sellers, car dealers such as Aliyu Aba from Najib Motors, stationed at the bustling TSTC Junction along Jalingo Yola Highway, Nafiu Johnbosco from Haske Motors, located at the notorious Roadblock Roundabout, and Nathaniel Ibro from Muri Company, situated near the prestigious Muri Hotel, are facing a parking nightmare. Their once-abundant spaces have been devoured by a growing number of customers desperately seeking to offload their vehicles.
The bitter truth is that these sellers are primarily civil servants, driven to extreme measures by unbearable circumstances. Life has become an excruciating ordeal for them, with the skyrocketing fuel costs rendering their beloved cars burdensome relics of the past. As one sales agent laments, “From our vantage point, the landscape has transformed dramatically since the fuel subsidy was scrapped. Buyers are scarce, unwilling to invest in more vehicles. The exorbitant cost of fuel has throttled extravagant car usage, leaving the market stagnant and in disarray.”
One civil servant, Titus Illiman, employed at the Taraba State Ministry of Information, made the heart-wrenching decision to part with his car. Unable to bear witness to his once-prized possession deteriorating before his eyes while he earns a meager monthly income, he realized that selling his vehicle was the only viable solution. With the proceeds from the sale, he intends to invest in farming, hoping to yield profits substantial enough to support his children’s education. “My monthly take-home pay as a civil servant is a drop in the ocean compared to the exorbitant fuel prices. I cannot bear the burden any longer,” he confesses.
As the fuel subsidy removal wreaks havoc on Taraba’s civil servants, the consequences ripple through their lives, forcing them into desperate acts of survival. The future remains uncertain for these once-proud car owners, their dreams now shattered as they grapple with the harsh realities of an unforgiving system.