A coalition under the aegis of Nigeria Citizens Action Group (NCAG), yesterday, called for the reversal of price hike in pump price of premium motor spirit, popularly known as petrol.
The group also called on the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Silva, Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC), Mele Kolo Kyari and Executive Secretary, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), AbdulKadir Saidu Umar to resign their appointments following the decision to increase the pump price of petrol.
The group at a press conference at Arewa House, Kaduna, threatened to mobilise and occupy the NNPC headquarters in Abuja if the pump price was not reversed as soon as possible.
Chairman, Nigeria Citizens Action Group and National President, Northern Youth Council, Isah Abubakar, and NCAG Secretary and Speaker Arewa Youth Assembly, Mohammed Saliu Danlamin and its spokesman, Salahudeen Lukman, addressed the media on behalf of the coalition.
“As at the peak of global oil price collaps at the inception of COVID-19 pandemic where crude oil price fell from $67.3 (Dec 2019) to $32.31 (March 2020) per barrel, Nigeria as major crude oil producer should not have to buy PMS more than N35 per litter, but NNPC through her unintelligent, incoherent and inconsistent subsidiary, called PPPRA pegged pump price at N125. 50/liter on March 19, 2020, and N123. 80 on April 1, 2020. It is with total dismay that citizens received with rude shock the increase in PMS pump price again on July 1 from N123.50 to N143.80 despite lack of significant price appreciation of crude oil globally from $32.31(March 2020) to $48.80 (June 2020) per barrel. Instead of Nigerians to experience further drop in PMS price or the maintenance of status-quo, the PPPRA, NNPC and Ministry of Petroleum decided to hike the pump price amidst this global pandemic recovery moves. This we consider a deliberate attempt to erode President Muhammadu Buhari’s goodwill, solidarity support, trust and love from the heart of Nigeria citizens.”
