The Federal Government has clarified that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources did not direct NNPCL to sell fuel at a price higher than the approved rate.
According to the report which went viral on social Media, the Minister for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, was the one who gave the directive to NNPCL.
In a statement signed by Nnemaka Okafor, the Special Adviser, Media, and Communication, to Lokpobiri, made available on Tuesday to Newsmen, the FG declared that the report was concocted and ill-conceived to sow discord and confusion in the oil industry.
The statement explained that the FG never interfered with petroleum pricing with NNPCL, let alone give directives for price increments.
The statement read, “The Federal Government is compelled to address the outright falsehoods currently being circulated on social media, which claim that the Minister of Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to inflate petroleum prices above the approved pump price.
“We categorically condemn these claims as baseless, malicious, and a deliberate attempt to incite public discontent. We challenge anyone in possession of any evidence-be it written documents, audio, or video recordings-that supports these fabrications to make it public.
“Such a claim is entirely devoid of truth and should be recognised as an intentional effort to mislead the public. It must be stressed that NNPCL operates as an independent entity under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, with a fully empowered Board of Directors.
“The Ministry of Petroleum Resources does not, and will not, interfere in the internal decisions of NNPCL, including pricing matters. Any suggestion otherwise is not only incorrect but also reveals a profound misunderstanding of the deregulated nature of Nigeria’s petroleum sector.”
On what the Minister actually said, The statement elaborated that the Minister of Petroleum, Lokpobiri, merely emphasised on why fuel smuggling and pipeline vandalism cannot stop.
“If NNPC imports PMS and sells to marketers at perhaps N600 or below, there’s no way that smuggling can stop’’. He said
When smugglers are taking the products outside the country, even if you put all the policemen on the road, they are Nigerians; you and I know the answer”.He added
