Senate President Godswill Akpabio has expressed hope that
there won’t be any further increment in the pump price of fuel.
Akpabio explained that the Nigerian National Petroleum
Company Limited, NNPCL, has ended its exclusive purchase agreement with Dangote
Refinery, hence no more fuel increment.
He disclosed that the change will enable other marketers to
procure fuel directly from the refining facilities.
Akpabio spoke during the inauguration of the upgraded Senate
Press Corps Centre at the National Assembly in Abuja.
NNPCL had increased the retail price of petrol to N1,030
from N897 per litre in the FCT.
However, Akpabio said: “I don’t expect any increase in pump
price. I will expect the market forces to determine. And I expect that now that
the NNPCL is no longer going to bring petroleum products into the country, it
means those who have the capacity will bring. And you know, the more the
product is available, the cheaper the price.
“So, at the beginning, if I look at the increase. I believe
strongly that in the next. With the production from Dangote and the other
refineries, when they become functional, and they found that it is now open to
all, they will bring in good products into the country.
“I can assure you that you may not even see pump prices. If
there is an increase in pump prices, we will access it, and if there is a need
for us to intervene, we will do so.
“If you look at it, actually, what is happening is not
compromising, it is deregulation. If you are taking away the consumer subsidy,
and then you want people to pay for the actual price of what they consume, it
means if you have five cars, you will now use one or two. You understand? It
simply means that you are going to stop the idea of subsidy in order to make
sure that the monies are used for other things.”
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