Mohammed Shosanya
A coalition of civil society groups,Friday threatened to picket filling stations that sell fuel above the government approved price.
In a statement,the coalition said that plans by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), to increase the pump price of petrol to N700 per litre was unacceptable.
It stated that the development was pure mischief and a sabotage, as it regretted that Nigerians are trying to come out of the “price shock”, of the May 29 increment.
Convener of the groups, Basil Musa, and the Co-Conveners, Haruna Maigida, Ayo Adebayo and two others on behalf of many others, wondered “why IPMAN is running a parallel government outside a constitutionally recognized government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria headed by the Commander-in-Chief, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
It maintained that it would mobilise its members and other stakeholders across the 36 States of the Federation on a protest, targeted at shutting down filling stations nationwide, as Nigerians cannot afford to be railroaded into ignominy of life by IPMAN.
It insisted that the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has no statutory power to adjust fuel pump price, noting that any such move will be resisted at all cost, and “Nigerians would be mobilized to the streets across the federation.”
“As Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, we are monitoring events and the proposed fuel pump hike to N700 per litre by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN is unacceptable.
“If the government derelicts in cautioning the IPMAN, we see it as a deliberate collusion to drive Nigerians into unmitigated difficulties and as CSOs, we will not sit and watch that happen. We will mobilise Nigerians to a street protest and that should be taken from us.
“We watch the removal of fuel subsidy regime by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his inaugural address on May 29, 2023 and we take the dare consequences as part of sacrifice awaiting when government would have settled to come up with ameliorative measures for the citizens, but, IPMAN’s to adjust fuel pump price will stoke protests because it isn’t in the interest of Nigerians,” it explained.
The coalition said that if the proposed increase in pump price is carried on with, it would amount to over 451% above what Tinubu’s administration met, expressing fears of hyperinflation of the cost of goods across the nation.
IPMAN was largely behind the mystery litres of petrol consumption that suddenly dropped from 66 million per day to 40 million, after fuel subsidy was removed.
The coalition advised the marketers association to brace up for a change as sharp practices in the downstream sector can no longer be condoned.
