THE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has advised motorists and other petroleum products consumers to disregard reports about increase in petrol pump price. It said the statement of the Corporation’s Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari, at the National Assembly on Thursday did not suggest any plan to increase the price of the white product.
NNPC in a statement said what the NNPC GMD stated during his engagement with the Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan on Thursday was that the price of petrol was abysmally low in Nigeria compared to what obtained in neighboring West African countries.
The statement noted that Kyari had observed at the event that the huge disparity in the pump price of petrol between Nigeria and her neighbors tended to encourage cross-border leakages, as he sought the support of the National Assembly to curb smuggling.
NNPC advised Nigerians to disregard the insinuation of a plan hike in the price of petrol, saying statutorily, NNPC was not even in a position to regulate the price of petroleum products, adding that NNPC role as an operator must be differentiated from that of any of the industry regulators.
NNPC said as directed by relevant agencies of the government, the pump price of petrol remains N145 per litre.
NNPC cautioned marketers not to sell petrol above N145 per litre following the disclaimed rumor.
NNPC advised all to remain vigilant and volunteer information to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), the industry regulator, or to any law enforcement agency around them, should any station sell petrol beyond N145 per litre.