By Michael Eboh and Dirisu Yakubu
No plan to hike fuel price, FG insists
ABUJA – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday advised the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government to perish the thought of hiking the per litre price of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as fuel from the already “Exorbitant” N145 per litre, saying such would not only be criminal but inhuman and completely unacceptable.

Uche Secondus

The party said investigations revealed that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has been lying to Nigerians on oil related issues, using the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to bandy figures with intentions to arrive at government’s plan to increase the price of fuel.

The PDP further stated that the lingering fuel crisis and its attendant high cost were a subtle ploy by the ruling party to justify another increment in the pump price of PMS.

But the Federal Government, also has insisted that there was no plan to hike the price of PMS, above N145 per litre, stating that it is currently drawing up stiff sanctions to be meted out to marketers that were found selling above the approved price range

The PDPD National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement Friday said government has completely become immune to the sufferings of Nigerians to the extent that it no longer care in inflicting more pain on them.

The party counselled against putting more burden on the people, even as it urged government to come out clear on corruption ravaging the oil sector under its watch, particularly the supposedly shady oil subsidy payouts and the alleged illegal lifting of N1.1 trillion worth of crude using unregistered companies.

Noting that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had in December 2017 informed Nigerians that the NNPC has been paying subsidy on fuel, the PDP berated the Buhari-led government for failing to tell Nigerians who the beneficiaries are, the amount involved and who authorized the payments made.

“Any increase in fuel pump price would be an indirect tax on Nigerians to fund APC interests and considering the pains Nigerians have suffered under this inept and unfeeling government, this intended hike will be callous.

“It is now clear to all that this APC- controlled government will never act in the interest of Nigerians. All the actions and policies of APC, in their close to three years in office, have been targeted against Nigerians and there are no signals that they will change.

“We therefore urge Nigerians to reject this ploy to raise the prices of petroleum products even as they gear towards using the next election to end the misrule of the APC,” the statement read.

…Stiff sanctions await marketers selling above N145

The Federal Government, has insisted that there was no plan to hike the price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol, above N145 per litre, stating that it is currently drawing up stiff sanctions to be meted out to marketers that were found selling above the approved price range.

Address newsmen in Abuja on reports from the Senate hearing on the fuel crisis, that petrol price was to sell for N180 per litre, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, appealed for an end to politicization of the fuel crisis and also speculation on petrol prices.

He said, “I want to make it very clear, there is no intended price increase. Petrol price is N145 per litre at the p ump price, it remains that; nothing has changed. There is no mandate to increase that. The President’s mandate on this issue is very specific; we are not increasing price from N145.

“We are working very hard, to see that, working with those price parameters, we can provide Nigerians with refined petroleum products all the time, avoid fuel queues and ensure that our business partners in the private sector participate actively.”

Kachikwu explained that it became necessary to restate the Federal Government’s stance on this issue, because in most instances, some of these rumour mongering all add to the difficulties NNPC had in terms of being able to control price speculation.

He said, “I thought we should make this very clear. This is not a matter for speculation. Anybody who does speculation on it is not being helpful to Nigerians. They have already gone through a very difficult Christmas period. We are working night and day to try and find solutions.

“It is not a political issue; people should step out of that goal post. We want to provide succour to Nigerians, we want to provide product at N145. That is the presidential mandate; that is the Federal Executive Council mandate. Nobody is having a deliberation on that.”

The Minister noted that the essence of the meeting at the Senate and the committee set up by President Muhammadu Buhari a few days ago, which was still meeting, was to find mechanisms to ensure that fuel queues do not come back to Nigeria and to ensure that petrol stations across the country are wet so that product is available at every time for Nigerians.

He added that the deliberations was also aimed at ensuring that issues that led to private marketers pulling out from participation in fuel import are dealt with, so that the marketers can participate effectively in the supply of petroleum products in the country, all within the parameters o f N145 per litre pump price.

Kachikwu also disclosed that the Federal Government is considering stiff penalties for marketers that were caught sabotaging the efforts of the government at ensuring steady supply of the commodity and who sold above the stipulated pump price.

“It is very important to make this go universally clear, we are actually looking at steps for those who have breached these processes, what we can do to penalise them and also set very stiff penalties for those who go to sell above N145.

“Going forward, after the recommendations, they would be very massive enforcement; very firm position on this issue; very firm tracking of product in this country. Nobody deserves this sort of up and down in terms of product supply in this country,” he declared.

Kachikwu also stated that part of the committee’s mandate was to review the pricing template for petrol and see what changes could be effected to ensure that marketers resume fuel importation within the N145 per litre pump price window.

He said “As part of this committee’s work, we are also reviewing the template to see whether there are things we need to do, all to help us ensure that we can accommodate sales at the N145 per litre window. That is also going to be looked at. The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, is working on that and it is heading a special committee on it.