The Nigerian government on Friday said it has not approved the increase in petrol pump prices across the country.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, announced this in a statement issued by the senior adviser on media and communications, Horatius Egua.
Mr. Sylva spoke as Nigerians continue to queue for fuel at filling stations amid reports of an increase in the pump prices of petroleum products.
Mr. Sylva stated that President Muhammadu Buhari has not approved any increase in the price of PMS or other petroleum products.
“There is no reason for President Muhammadu Buhari to renege on his earlier promise not to approve the increase in the price of petroleum (PMS) at this time,” the minister said.
According to him, the president is sensitive to the plight of Nigerians, and has repeatedly said that he understands the challenges, and does not want to cause untold suffering to the people.
A Guardian reports said there that the Nigerian government quietly approved ₦185 as the new price of gasoline per liter. The newspaper said the approved pump prices were communicated to key marketers in a memo early Thursday.
But Mr Sylva on Friday said the government would not tacitly approve an increase in PMS without consulting relevant stakeholders.
“The President is not directing the Nigerian Middle and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority or any agency to increase fuel prices.
“This is not the time to increase the price of PMS pumps,” he said.
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He noted that what he did was the work of “miscreants and those who planned to destroy the achievements of the president in the oil and gas sector of the economy.”
The minister appealed to Nigerians to remain calm and law abiding as the government strives to normalize fuel supply and distribution in the country.
In recent months, especially since the government announced plans to remove fuel subsidies, Nigerians have found it difficult to get oil products at filling stations.
The shortage persists even though the government has repeatedly claimed that it has sufficient stocks of petroleum products. In many parts of the country, filling station operators sell at a higher price than the government’s pump price.
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