Car sellers in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba state, are facing a shortage of parking space as civil servants, unable to afford the rising fuel prices since the removal of fuel subsidy, are selling their vehicles.
Since the fuel subsidy removal, civil servants in the state have been compelled to sell their cars due to the significant increase in fuel prices, soaring over 100 percent. The pump price of fuel in Taraba ranges from N550,00 to N570,00, while the state is yet to implement the national minimum wage of N30,000.
A survey of car stands in Jalingo revealed that 42 percent of vehicles brought in for sale in the past three weeks belonged to civil servants working for the state or local government council. Car sellers have witnessed a massive influx of cars from civil servants who find it increasingly difficult to cope with the cost of fueling and maintaining their vehicles.
Sales agents at various car stands, including Najib Motors, Haske Motors, and Muri Company, disclosed that they are struggling with limited parking space due to the high number of customers seeking to sell their vehicles.
The majority of people selling their cars are civil servants, as they find the current economic situation unbearable and are unable to sustain the expenses associated with owning a vehicle. The removal of fuel subsidy has led to a decline in the number of buyers, as the cost of fuel has discouraged extravagant use of cars and affected the overall market.
Titus Illiman, a civil servant with the Taraba State Ministry of Information, explained his decision to sell his car, stating that he could no longer afford to drive it with the skyrocketing fuel price of N550,00. He expressed the need to generate income through other means, such as farming, to support his children’s education since his monthly salary as a civil servant is insufficient to cover the cost of fueling the vehicle.
