Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), has firmly refuted claims that he has directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to raise the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as fuel, to N1,000 per litre.
In a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Nnemaka Okafor, Lokpobiri condemned these allegations as unfounded and misleading. He emphasized that no such directive had been issued, and accused those spreading the rumors of attempting to incite public unrest.
The controversy arose following reports that Lokpobiri had suggested a price hike to deter the smuggling of petroleum products to neighboring countries.
Smuggling has reportedly increased since the removal of fuel subsidies in May 2023, which led to a significant rise in domestic petrol prices.
Currently, petrol in Nigeria is sold at an average of N701.99 per litre, compared to significantly higher prices in neighboring countries, with Cameroonian prices reaching N2,061.55 per litre and N1,672.05 in the Republic of Benin.
Lokpobiri’s statement challenged anyone who claims to have evidence supporting the price increase to come forward with such documentation, whether written, audio, or video.
He stressed that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources does not influence NNPCL’s pricing decisions and labeled the rumors as a deliberate attempt to mislead and provoke public dissent.
“The Ministry of Petroleum Resources does not, and will not, interfere in the internal decisions of NNPCL, including pricing matters,” the statement clarified.
It also underscored that the NNPCL operates independently under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), with its own Board of Directors.
The Minister advised Nigerians to disregard the rumors and rely on information from credible and official sources.