Abuja, Sept. 3, 2024 – The Federal Government on Tuesday denied reports that it ordered the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPLC) to sell petrol at N1000 per litre.
The denial was against the backdrop of recent media reports that Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, had directed the NNPCL to sell petrol at N1000.
Nnemaka Okafor, the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the minister, refuted the media reports in a statement, saying the report was concocted and ill-conceived to sow discord and confusion in the oil industry.
She said the federal government had never interfered with petroleum pricing with NNPCL, let alone give directives for price increments.
Okafor said: “The Federal Government is compelled to address the outright falsehoods currently being circulated on social media, which claim that the Honourable Minister for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to inflate petroleum prices above the approved pump price.
“We categorically condemn these claims as baseless, malicious, and a deliberate attempt to incite public discontent.
“We challenge anyone in possession of any evidence, be it written documents, audio, or video recordings-that supports these fabrications to make it public.” (GBN)
