The federal government has denied increase in fuel prices.
Despite the rise in the price of the good across the nation, the FG denied any price increase for Premium Motor Spirit, also
known as petrol.
In a statement released by his media assistant, Horatius Egua, in Abuja on Friday, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, claimed that PMS price increases had not been approved by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret.).
He was quoted as saying, “President Muhammadu Buhari has not approved any increase in the price of PMS or any other petroleum product for that matter.
“There is no reason for President Muhammadu Buhari to renege on his earlier promise not to approve any increase in the price of PMS at this time.
“Mr. President is sensitive to the plight of the ordinary Nigerian and has said repeatedly that he understands the challenges of the ordinary Nigerian and would not want to cause untold hardship for the electorate.”
The minister continued, “Government will not approve any increase of PMS secretly without due consultations with the relevant stakeholders. The President has not directed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority or any agency for that matter to increase the price of fuel.
“This is not the time for any increase in pump price of PMS.”
He claimed that what was happening was the result of troublemakers and people attempting to undermine the President’s accomplishments in the oil and gas industry.
“I appeal to Nigerians to remain calm and law abiding as the government is working hard to bring normalcy to fuel supply and distribution in the country.”
Oil marketers have previously acknowledged the N10 price hike for petrol and said that it was one of the causes for big retailers’ recent price increases on the product.