NUJ, IPMAN, Others Slam PPPRA Executive Secretary Over ‘Insensitive’ Fuel Template Adjustment

…PPPRA Executive Secretary Got No Presidential Approval On New Price Template

…We Have Not Agreed On Such Price Increase-IPMAN

…Fuel Price Adjustment Insensitive-NUJ

The Nigerian Union of Journalists, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, and other stakeholders such as the Chartered Institute of Finance and Control have expressed disappointment on the sudden announcement of an adjustment in fuel price by the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, Abdulkadir Saidu Umar.

They slammed the PPPRA Boss for announcing the price adjustments at a time when the Federal Government is still engaging the Nigerian Labour Congress and other critical Stakeholders in the oil industry on the deregulation policy.

While the NUJ said that the action of Umar showed his level of “insensitivity” to the plights of Nigerians, IPMAN described the announcement as “shocking”

The PPPRA had said that the retail price of petrol would sell between market band of N209.61 and N212.61.

The Agency, which disclosed this in its monthly template released on Thursday night had stated that landing cost for petrol per liter is N189.61, with the ex-depot price standing at N206.42 per liter.

Shortly after the announcement, the Federal Government said it is not planning to increase the price of petrol in March.

The plan not to hike price of petrol was confirmed by the Nigerian National Petroluem Corporation on Friday.

The decision of the NNPC not to increase price was to allow conclusion of the ongoing engagements with Organized Labour and other stakeholders on an acceptable framework that will not expose the ordinary Nigerian to any hardship.

But hours after news of the latest upward price adjustment went round, the PPPRA retreated and pulled down the controversial price template from its website.

In its place the agency published a notice: “Please be informed that published prices are only indicative of current market trends.”

The template was issued at a time the Federal Government was still negotiating with Labour

Findings revealed that the PPPRA Boss did not get approval of President Muhammadu Buhari before making the new pricing template public.

But speaking on the development, the Vice President of IPMAN, Abubakar Maigandi said the new price came to them as a shock.

He told THE WHISTLER in an exclusive interview that there was no such agreement with the PPPRA as there are still engagements of stakeholders concerning price fixing.

He said, “I was surprised when I heard the news of the price increase by PPPRA this morning.

“We have not agreed on such price increase and the Association cannot give order to the marketers for price increase until it is agreed upon.”

Also speaking, the Chairman of NUJ, Federal Capital Territory Chapter, Mr Emmanuel Ogbeche said it was wrong for PPPRA to make any announcements in price adjustments when discussions are ongoing with Labour and other critical Stakeholders.

He told this Website in an interview that since the government position was that there should not be any price increase in the month of March, the DPR should ensure that there are no meter adjustments at the filling stations.

He said, “The increase is inevitable considering the fact that there has been an increase in price in the international market but we know also that there are regulatory framework all over the world so that consumers will not pay arbitrary price for goods and services and Nigeria is not an exception.

“That said, let me express my regret over the announcement today that the PPPRA ought to have been more sensitive and understanding given the fact that there are ongoing negotiations with Labour on the issue of price adjustments in Petroluem Products.

“So government ought to take a second look at those at the PPPRA because this is not the first time. You cannot make price adjustments announcement when discussions are ongoing with Labour and other critical Stakeholders.

“It is good that the tweet has been deleted, but it has caused apprehension over the country. Some filling station this morning were not open and so we want to call on the Department for Petroluem Resources to ensure that there are no meter adjustments at the filling stations.”

The Registrar, Chartered Institute of Finance and Control of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Eohoi, said the price adjustment template released by the PPPRA does not show that the leadership of the Agency has the interest of Nigerians at heart.

He said, “The announcement of an increase in price of PMS from N162 to N212 per liter by the PPPRA is a sad news to Nigerians based on the current economic situation.

“As it is, food items is very expensive and we are heading to serious crisis. This is not the right time to think about increasing the fuel price up to that wide range of N212 per liter.

“Considering what we are suffering in Nigeria, there should have been a freeze on fuel price for now until the economy is fully out of recession.

“The implications of increasing fuel price now is that transportation will increase and if that happens, the cost of movement of goods will increase and it will affect prices of food items in the market.

“These factors should be considered before thinking of increase in fuel prices because we have yet to fully get out of recession.”