Petrol Pump Price Hike in Nigeria: Lawmaker Calls for Urgent Reversal
Nigeria’s House of Representatives member, Alhassan Doguwa, has appealed to the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to take immediate steps to roll back the recent increase in the pump price of petrol. The increase, which took effect earlier this week, has resulted in a significant surge in fuel scarcity across the country.
According to Doguwa, who chairs the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), the new pump price of N855 is unacceptable and will further exacerbate the hardships faced by Nigerians. “We urge the government and NNPCL to consider the plight of Nigerians and suspend this recent increase in pump price. Nigerians are currently going through a lot today and adding to this burden is not in our collective best interest,” he said in a statement.
Doguwa’s appeal comes as the NNPCL continues to hike the pump price of petrol, with Abuja and Lagos residents forced to pay N880 at mega filling stations, while independent marketers sell the product for between N950 and N970 per litre. The lawmaker believes that a return to the old pump price will help calm the nerves of Nigerians and enable them to go about their daily activities with ease.
The NNPCL’s decision to increase the pump price has been widely criticized, with many arguing that it will only serve to benefit private companies and worsen the economic hardship faced by ordinary Nigerians. Doguwa and his committee are working closely with security agencies to address the frequent cases of crude oil theft, which he believes is a major contributing factor to the petrol shortage.
In a message of hope, Doguwa said, “We may be suffering today, but tomorrow will be better. The government of the day is taking significant steps, which may be painful today, but very soon, we will beat our chest as proud Nigerians because the future is great. Tinubu means well for us, and he is desirous of leaving a legacy that future generations will be proud of.”
