The Federal Government has rejected claims that it instructed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to raise fuel prices to ₦1,000 per litre, a figure that exceeds the approved pump price.
The report suggested that the Minister for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, issued the directive to NNPCL.
In response, a statement from the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Nnemaka Okafor, dismissed these allegations as false and misleading. According to the statement, Lokpobiri denounced the report as a deliberate attempt to create unrest and confusion within the oil sector.
“The Federal Government feels compelled to address the blatant falsehoods circulating on social media, alleging that the Minister of Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to increase fuel prices beyond the approved rates,” the statement read.
The Minister condemned the accusations as unfounded and malicious, calling them a deliberate effort to stir public dissatisfaction. He challenged anyone with evidence whether written, audio, or video to come forward and substantiate the claims.
“This assertion is entirely false and should be recognized as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public. NNPCL operates independently under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, with a fully empowered Board of Directors,” the statement continued.
It emphasized that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources does not and will not interfere with NNPCL’s internal decisions, including pricing. The Ministry clarified that any suggestion to the contrary reflects a misunderstanding of Nigeria’s deregulated petroleum sector.
