FG Refutes Claims Of Ordering NNPCL To Sell Petrol At N1000 Per Litre

The Federal Government has denied a report claiming that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to sell petrol at ₦1,000 per litre.

The false report alleged that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri had instructed NNPCL to set the new price.

However, a statement on Tuesday by Nnemaka Okafor, Special Adviser on Media and Communication to Lokpobiri, described the report as fabricated and intended to cause confusion in the oil sector.

The minister rubbished the report, stressing that the Government has never intervened in NNPCL’s pricing decisions.

The statement read, “The Federal Government is compelled to address the outright falsehoods currently being circulated on social media, which claim that the Minister of Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited 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 written documents, audio, or video recordings-that support these fabrications to make it public.

“Such a claim is entirely devoid of truth and should be recognised as an intentional effort to mislead the public. It must be stressed that NNPCL operates as an independent entity under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, with a fully empowered Board of Directors.

“The Ministry of Petroleum Resources does not, and will not, interfere in the internal decisions of NNPCL, including pricing matters. Any suggestion otherwise is not only incorrect but also reveals a profound misunderstanding of the deregulated nature of Nigeria’s petroleum sector.”

KanyiDaily recalls that Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, recently announced a state of emergency for the country’s crude oil production.