Dealers in the spare parts of gasoline generators and roadside repairers in the South-East say the petroleum subsidy removal has taken a big toll on their businesses.
A cross-section of the people said in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria in the zone that the development adversely affected patronage and their daily incomes.
President Bola Tinubu announced the subsidy removal in his inaugural address on May 29.
A NAN survey in the South-East shows that the policy has unleashed unfavourable business atmosphere and hardship for generator spare parts dealers and repairers.
A repairer at Ossah Road, Umuahia, Ifeanyi Okoye, said that the hike in the price of fuel had direct effect on his job.
Mr Okoye said: “Before the subsidy removal, I used to fix between three and four generators daily but now I only manage to do one.
“Also, customers now bring their generators for repair with empty tanks.
“Now, I have over 80 tanks in.my shop without fuel, because people can no longer afford fuel, which sales for about N600 per litre.”
Another repairer, Mr Jude Okenwa, said that his customers hardly come again for repairs.
He said that since the subsidy removal, he hardly made substantial income to take care of his family.
“Before the subsidy removal I was going home with about N10,000 and N15,000 daily, but now I hardly make up to N3000.
“If the situation continues to the end of the year, I may be forced to change my business in order to make ends meet,” Okenwa said.
A spare parts dealer on Uzuakoli Road, Umuahia, Mr Innocent Okezuo, regretted that his daily sales had dwindled significantly in the past three months.
“Now, I stay up to two weeks before I sell one generator, unlike before.
“I have been into generator business for the past 25 years but I can tell you that the past three months have been most challenging to me,” Okezuo said.
He further said that people now resort to fixing gas carburetors in their generators in order to use diesel as a cheaper alternative to petrol
