The Federal government has debunked reports that the Ministry of Petroleum has ordered NNPCL to sell fuel at N1000, above the approved pump price.
A report that went viral in the media claimed that the Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, asked NNPC to select fuel at N1000.
In a swift response, however, the federal government, in a statement on Tuesday, signed by Nnemaka Okafor, the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Petroleum Resources, made available to newsmen, refuted the report, noting that it was concocted and ill-conceived to sow discord and confusion in the oil industry.
According to Nnemaka, the federal government never interfered with petroleum pricing with NNPCL, let alone give directives for price increments.
She said, “The Federal Government is compelled to address the outright falsehoods currently being circulated on social media, which claim that the Honourable Minister for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) 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.”
