Almost three months after the federal government attempted withdrawal of subsidy on petrol, jacking up the product price initially to N141 and backing down subsequently to N97, source
told LEADERSHIP SUNDAY that the Government is determined that it will go the whole hog and finally deregulate the premium motor spirit (PMS) price next month.
When LEADERSHIP SUNDAY spoke to Peter Esele, the president-general of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) yesterday, he declared the planned hike as unfair and unacceptable.
"We will wait and see how they will do it. That's probably why they are trying to pass a gag law in the National Assembly that will restrain labour from going on strike.
"To hike the petrol price at this time, without telling us how many litres we consumed daily and without prosecuting those involved in subsidy fraud is unacceptable and unfair to the Nigerian people."
But the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the Ministry of Petroleum have denied foreknowledge of such intended hike.
The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, three weeks ago, stated that the government was conniving with the oil marketers to push fuel price to N140 under the guise of scarcity.
When LEADERSHIP SUNDAY contacted Dr. Livi Ajuonuma, group public relations manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, he totally denied knowledge of the development.
The head of corporate affairs of the Petroleum Product Pricing and Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, declined to pick our call or respond to texted questions on the impending hike in petrol pump price.
Danladi Pasali, special adviser on media for the Independent Petroleum Marketers of Nigeria (IPMAN), had noted that they had also heard the word that the government may have reached some kind of “arrangement” with labour to increase pump price to N141 by April.
Pasali noted that IPMAN still maintained its position that the country is not yet “ripe” for deregulation, noting that the demands are for the pipelines to be repaired and the refineries put in order before such a venture should be pursued in full.
A reliable source at the ministry of petroleum told LEADERSHIP SUNDAY yesterday, that: “There is absolutely nothing like that to the best of my knowledge. Do you think that government does not think? It will be difficult for government to even contemplate such now with all the queues everywhere and the difficulty faced by marketers to obtain loan from banks at the moment.
“Government is trying to put things right now to reduce the suffering of Nigerians and increasing fuel price now is out. You can call me on April 1 or 2 to prove me wrong, but I can tell you that there is nothing like that going on.”
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