THE Nigerian government has apologised for the increase in price of petrol earlier announced by the Petroleum Products Pricing Pricing Authority (PPPRA) on Friday, saying the hike is completely untrue.
Timipre Sylva, minister of states for petroleum, who stated this in a statement on Friday, said the decision did not get his approval or that of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He noted that it was unthinkable for the government to abandon the ongoing consultation with labour leaders to suddenly hike the price of fuel without a mutual agreement on the issue.
While calling on marketers to maintain the current price, he urged Nigerians to disregard the misleading information.
“You are all aware that for the past few months, the govt has been in consultation with the organised labour to find the least painful option to respond to the global rise in the price of crude, which in turn has inevitably led to an increase in the price of PMS. It is unthinkable that govt would unilaterally abandon these discussions and act in the manner suggested by the information under reference,” he said.
“I would like to equally assure you that the engagement with organised labour and other stakeholders will continue even as the calculations to arrive at a reasonable price regime are being done; all in good faith, and you will be availed of the final outcome at the appropriate time.
“Until then, all marketers are strongly advised to maintain the current pump price of PMS before the emergence of this unfortunate information. Those who may want to take advantage of this unfortunate misinformation to extort Nigerians should not give in to such temptation as there are regulatory mechanisms that govt can enforce to protect its citizens.
“In conclusion, I want to sincerely apologise to all Nigerians for any distress and inconvenience the unfortunate information might have caused.”
It was reported earlier how the PPPRA announced an increase in the price of petrol from 186 naira to 212.6 naira per litre, contradicting a recent statement by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) assuring Nigerians that there would not be an increase in the price of petrol in the country.
The development has also sparked a lot of reactions from Nigerians on the social media, with many lamenting the effect that the increase would have on food prices and transportation in the country.
Others called for a protest, noting that the Buhari’s administration had failed the masses
