By M. Peter (Jos) and Abasifreke Effiong (Uyo)
Fuel stations in Akwa Ibom and Plateau states are still selling Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) better known as petrol at N145 despite Wednesday’s reduction in the pump price of the product by the federal government.
The federal executive council at its meeting of March 18, approved a N20 reduction in price of petrol to reflect the new landing cost of the product which is about N100.
Landing cost for petroleum products dipped following a fall in the prices of crude oil in the international market.
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The Dune on Thursday while monitoring compliance by petroleum marketers in Akwa Ibom and Plateau states observed that petrol in still being sold at the former price of N145.
In Jos, Plateau state capital, pump attendants in at petrol stations said they were neither aware of the development nor told by their stations’ managers to sell at the latest price.
Although the NNPC Mega station in Jos has complied with the directive, major marketers of the products are yet to comply and motorists say they are yet to buy the product at the new price.
Commercial motorists say they cannot ensure any reduction in the cost of transportation because they still by petrol at the former price.
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It was observed transport fares were still the same as all commuters spoken with say they still pay the same price they were paying before the reduction.
Gabriel Ajang said, “we are not bothered about their reduction, we are just praying the virus should not go viral in this country because the poor will really suffer. Everyone claims not to know about the reduction but if it was a hike, everyone would have complied immediately. In Nigeria, whatever goes up does not come down.”
However, an official of the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR in Plateau state who did not want to be named said some marketers may take sometime before complying with the directive.
“The directive was just given, some people may want to take some time before complying but we are doing our job, we will monitor to ensure compliance and anyone who wants to shortchange the public will be sanctioned.”
In Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital, it was observed at petrol stations visited on Thursday and early morning Friday 20th March that petrol was still dispensed at N145 per litre, hence fare remains unchanged.
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Checks on Friday morning at Baremans filling station, Oron and BAFIL filling station, Aka and other big petrol marketer showed that the pump attendants were still selling the product at N145.
A pump attendants at Baremans petrol station when asked why they were not selling at the new price of N125 said, it is only her manager that would have explanations for that.
Her manager was not in the office as at the time The Dune visited.
However, community reporters said on Thursday that a petrol station, A. A Aron, located at Itam in the outskirt of Uyo, the state capital was selling PMS at N125 per litre.
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Akwa Ibom Governor on Petroleum Matters, Sir Victor Etefia has commended President Muhammadu Buhari, on the downward review of price of petrol saying that Nigerians will have respite from the biting economic situation.
Sir Etefia, who was fielding questions from journalists on Thursday in Uyo said, though the announcement for the implementation of the directive had been made, he was still waiting for the template from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), to effect the new price regime.
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