Commercial activities yesterday grounded to a halt in Onitsha, Anambra State, following an hourly increase in pump prices of petroleum products to the tune of N300 per litre.
The increase had started last Saturday when the pump price rose to N120 in the morning and by evening time, it climbed to N140.
By Sunday morning, the price rose to N160 and by evening it reached N180 and this rose to yN200 yesterday morning
At the time of sending this report yesterday afternoon, the price stood at N300 per litre.
Officials of various petrol filling stations kept sealed lips as they declined to comment on the ugly situation when newsmen visited their stations.
The situation led to commuters parking their vehicles, while some traders who were healthy enough and whose shops were not too far from their homes, trekked to their shops.
Those who could not trek simply remained at home.
As usual, some commercial vehicles and motorcyclists who had the courage to buya few litres of fuel for operations, raised transport fares by over 100 percent, just as only few private vehicles were seen on the roads.
