Group demands intervention by govt as citizens groan over fuel price hike 

Stanley Ihedigbo

Anambra Civil Society Network (ACSONET) a foremost Citizens and Non State Actors stakeholders group has kicked against the current hike in prices of petroleum products, and demands prompt intervention by government through the regulatory bodies to avoid imminent social and economic crisis.

According to press release  made available to The Mirror,  Leader of the group, Prince Chris Azor, in a Save Our Souls (SOS) statement, decried the excruciating pains/hardship citizens especially, commuters are passing through during this festive period.

“This is unacceptable as concerned authorities seem to be aloof at the suffering of the masses” he said.

“Relevant authorities should wade into this matter to avert imminent resistance by frustrated citizens. Right now our people who visited home are finding it very difficult to go back due the high cost of transportation and other commodities. This is an obvious existential threat” he continued.

“The Media has been awash with unpleasant headline reports of escalating prices of petroleum products across the nation, with particular attention to Anambra State. One report monitored by observers said that the product was being sold for between N300 and N400 in Onitsha/Awka areas of the State. A development that has made residents apprehensive, wondering what the cost of living would look like this year 2023.

“This would definitely have a ripple effect on the cost of transportation, food items, building materials, and other essential commodities and goods and services, generally. They remarked,” Azor stated.

He further added that  regulator, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) yesterday vowed to revoke the licences of petrol marketers selling above the controlled prices as well as those hoarding the product in their depots, saying that the sector is not yet deregulated, and that the nation still had at least 30-day sufficiency,

“Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has also, decried the inability of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to monitor prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) across the country. They blamed the activities of unscrupulous middlemen in the distribution and marketing of petrol, for the perennial scarcity and arbitrary increase in pump prices across the country, a situation it described as “pure fraud and corruption of the highest order.

“Whatever the issues are, responsible authorities should promptly, come up with strategies to end this avoidable debilitating situation,” Azor appealed.