September 03, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has refuted reports that the Ministry of Petroleum has directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, to sell fuel at N1,000, above the approved pump price.
A statement signed on Tuesday, by Nnemaka Okafor, Media Aide to the Minister of State for Oil and Gas, Heineken Lokpobiri, said the Ministry of Petroleum “does not and will not” interfere in the internal decisions of NNPC Ltd including pricing matters.
The statement described the report as a “baseless, malicious, and deliberate” attempt to incite public discontent.
It reads: “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.
“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 (CAMA), 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.”
