A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) says it will mobilise Nigerians for a protest if petroleum marketers jerk up the pump price of petrol to N700 per litre.
The national controller of operations of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Mike Osatuyi, had said the price of petrol could rise above N700 per litre in parts of the north from July.
According to The Punch, Osatuyi said, “What I am seeing is around N600 and above, depending on the exchange rate, the current crude price at the international market and the landing cost”.
In a statement on Friday, Basil Yelwa Musa, Haruna Maigida, and Ayo Temi Adebayo, the CSO’s convener and co-conveners, said the proposed price increase by IPMAN is not acceptable.
“As a 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,” the statement reads.
“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 the government would have settled to come up with ameliorative measures for the citizens, but, IPMAN’s plan to adjust fuel pump price will stoke protests because it isn’t in the interest of Nigerians.”
