Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to use his “leadership position and good offices to direct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) to immediately reverse the, apparently, illegal and unconstitutional increase in the pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, across its retail outlets”.
But Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), in its own reaction to the petrol price increase, called for the sack of Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri.
IYC said the hike in the price of PMS had caused untold hardship for Nigerians.
In Niger State, no fewer than 48 people were confirmed killed in a petrol tanker explosion on Sunday afternoon along Lapai-Agaie road.
Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago described the incident as a “painful” and “colossal loss of lives”.
The presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, expressed sadness over the deadly explosion.
SERAP said Tinubu should direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and appropriate anti-corruption bodies to probe the allegations of corruption and mismanagement in NNPCL.
SERAP said the spending of the reported $300 million “bailout funds” collected from the federal government in August 2024, and $6 billion debt NNPCL owed suppliers, despite allegedly failing to remit oil revenues to the treasury, should also be probed.
The human rights group stated, “Suspected perpetrators of alleged corruption and mismanagement in the NNPC should face prosecution as appropriate, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and any proceeds of corruption should be fully recovered.”
In the open letter to Tinubu, dated September 7, 2024, and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP said, “The increase in petrol price constitutes a fundamental breach of constitutional guarantees and the country’s international human rights obligations.
“Nigerians have for far too long been denied justice and the opportunity to get to the bottom of why they continue to pay the price for corruption in the oil sector.
“Rather than pursuing public policies to address the growing poverty and inequality in the country, and holding the NNPC to account for the alleged corruption and mismanagement in the oil sector, your government seems to be punishing the poor.
“The increase in petrol price has rendered already impoverished citizens incapable of satisfying their minimum needs for survival.
“The increase is not inevitable, as it stems from the persistent failure of successive governments to address allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the oil sector and the impunity of suspected perpetrators.
“Corruption in the oil sector and the lack of transparency and accountability in the use of public funds to
IYC stated that the actions of Kyari and Lokpobiri had contributed to the current economic challenges, which were mostly felt in oil-producing areas of the Niger Delta.
President of IYC, Dr. Theophilus Alaye, in a statement, said Kyari and Lokpobiri were politicising the operation of the oil and gas sector, resulting in severe hardship for Nigerians.
Alaye said the inability of the duo to effectively manage the country’s oil resources had led to a ripple effect of hardship, including high fuel prices, scarcity of petroleum products, and a strain on the national economy.
The IYC president stressed that Lokpobiri and Kyari had failed in their responsibilities to ensure transparency and accountability in the oil sector.
Chuks Okocha, Adedayo Akinwale and Laleye Dipo
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