A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has vowed to picket filling stations that sell fuel above the government approved pump price.
The group in a statement on Friday 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.
While reacting to the planned increment of fuel pump price from government approved N448 per litre to N700, the Coalition which has a nationwide spread regretted that the IPMAN is running a parallel government outside a constitutionally recognised government of the country.
The group lamented that the development a sabotage, and regretted that Nigerians are trying to come out of the “price shock”, of the May 29.
The convener of the group, Basil Musa, and co-conveners, Haruna Maigida, Ayo Adebayo and two others on behalf of others faulted IPMAN for running a parallel government outside a constitutionally recognised government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria headed by the Commander-in-Chief, President Bola 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.
The group noted that IPMAN has no statutory power to adjust fuel pump price, stressing that any such move will be resisted, and Nigerians would be mobilised to the streets across the federation.
The statement read, “As a coalition of CSOs, we are monitoring events and the proposed fuel pump hike to N700 per litre by IPMAN is unacceptable.
“If government derelicts in cautioning the IPMAN, we see it as a deliberate collusion to drive Nigerians into unmitigated difficulties and as CSOs, we won’t sit and watch that happen. We’ll mobilise Nigerians to a street protest.
“We watch the removal of fuel subsidy regime by President Bola 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. For IPMAN to adjust fuel pump price will stoke protests because it isn’t in the interest of Nigerians.
“If the proposed increase in pump price is carried on with, it would amount to over 451% above what Tinubu’s administration met. We fear hyperinflation of the cost of goods across the nation,” the statement read.
According to group, 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 group advised the marketers association to brace up for a change as sharp practices in the downstream sector can no longer be condoned.
The group was represented by Oil and Gas Transparency and Advocacy Group, Civil Society Coalition for Economic Development (CED), Centre for Citizens Rights, Centre for Good Governance Advocacy and Action against Corruption in Nigeria, on behalf of many others, and urged the government to call IPMAN to order, stressing that Nigerians are already wallowing in difficulty over the recently adjusted fuel pump price with no palliative measures yet.
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