NNPC says no petrol price increase in May, subsidy continues

The Federal Government will continue to pay fuel subsidy as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has said it will not increase the ex-depot price of petrol in May.

Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, disclosed this on Monday on the company’s social media post during a meeting he held with the National Association of Road Transport Owners/Petroleum Tanker Drivers.

Kyari had last month disclosed that the current market price of petrol had risen to N234 per litre, far above the average pump price of N163 per litre across petrol stations in the country.

Tanker drivers had on March 29 issued notice of industrial action, citing poor remuneration and other hardship as reasons for their action.

Kayri said, “We want to inform oil marketing companies that the NNPC will not increase the pump price of PMS in May. I am giving the assurance and I ask Nigerians to go about their normal businesses; we have over 20 billion litres of petrol in our custody.

“Many of you are aware of this and with the assurance with tanker drivers and NUPENG, there is no need for panic buying of the product. Petrol will be available in all the depots in the country including NNPC dispatched depot across the country, so nobody should panic in buying the product.”

Speaking on the on the strike by the PTD, the NNPC boss said the strike was associated with NARTO’s inability to increase their compensation which was not resolved last week.

He said, “We have given commitment to both NARTO and PTD that we will resolve the issue within a week and come back to the table to have a total closure on the issue.

“We also have a robust engagement with our oil marketing partners in respect of increase in the volume product that is check in the Nigerian market. “We have agreed to work jointly with all the security agencies to contain any possible infractions seen in our borders. We will work as a team to curtail this fraudulent practice with the help of the security agencies.”

He explained that the meeting also discussed issues on payment by Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) to oil marketing companies.

He said that all stakeholders agreed in making the PMS available to marketers.

Speaking at the end of the meeting, NARTO President, Alhaji Yusuf Othman, commended the NNPC for the intervention and assured that within the next seven days, things will normalise in the adjustment of allowances of PTD.

He said, “NARTO requested that they bring three persons so that we discuss the issues but that would not have been possible without this intervention. “We hope that within the next seven days things will normalize and I want to assure Nigerians that we are committed to it.”