The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) have warned Nigerians against panic-buying and dismissed reports of a planned hike in the pump price of petrol.
There have been unconfirmed claims in the social media and other spaces that the price of petrol was set to shoot up to N1,200 per litre due to the cessation of under-recovery of fuel costs.
But speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, IPMAN’s Public Relations Officer, Okanlawon Olanrewaju, said there was no plan by fuel marketers to increase fuel price.
“As far as the independent marketers are concerned, we don’t have plans to increase the fuel pump price,” Olanrewaju said on Thursday.
“There is no basis for that for now. There is no signal from NNPC that we should increase. So, we cannot do that on our own except the NNPC comes out and says we are going to increase pump price. On our own, there is nothing like that.
“I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the public to stop panic buying. It is just a rumour.”
Earlier, the NNPCL told Nigerians not to panic, assuring them that there is no increment in the price of the commodity.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd. assures the public that there is no imminent increase in the cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol.
“NNPC Ltd. urges Nigerians to disregard unfounded rumours and assures them that there are no plans for an upward review of the PMS price,” its spokesman Olufemi Soneye said.
“Motorists nationwide are advised against engaging in panic buying, as there is presently ample availability of PMS across the country.”
The NNPCL also refuted claims of a clash with IPMAN, insisting that subsidy has been entirely removed on petrol months after President Bola Tinubu pronounced the development.
