The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has assured organised labour and Nigerians that price of petrol motor spirit commonly known as petrol will not be increased in the month of February.
The corporation gave the assurance in a statement signed by its spokesman Dr Kennie Obateru in Abuja, on Thursday.
This is coming after information on in the increase in the price of the commodity has taken over the internet, with many independent marketers already increased pump price to N170/litre.
“In spite of the rise in the price of crude oil in the international market, NNPC has ruled out any increment in the ex-depot price of PMS in February 2021,” Olateru said.
Reports have it that ex-depot price is the price at which oil marketers buy products from the depot.
The price determines the price at which they sell to motorists at their various petrol stations.
Obateru explained that the decision was to allow ongoing engagements with organised labour and other stakeholders on an acceptable framework that would not expose the ordinary Nigerian to any hardship.
He urged petroleum products, marketers, not to engage in the hoarding of PMS in order not to create artificial scarcity and unnecessary hardship for Nigerians.
He further gave the assurance that the corporation had enough stockpile of petrol to keep the nation well supplied for about 40 days.
He also called on relevant regulatory authorities to step up monitoring of the activities of marketers with a view to sanctioning those involved in products hoarding or arbitrary increase of pump price.
AMILOADED reports that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, in March 2020 announced that the nation’s downstream oil sector had been deregulated
With the announcement, the prices of petroleum products would be determined by prevailing market forces.
