Proposed N700 per litre: “We can’t accept parallel government, CSOs to IPMAN

A Coalition of Civil Society groups on Friday vowed to picket filling stations that sell fuel above the government approved price, saying that plans by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, to increase the pump price to N700 per litre was unacceptable.

The Coalition which comprise of all Civil Society Organisations nationwide was reacting to the planned increment of fuel pump price from government approved N538 per litre to N700, stating that the development was pure mischief and a sabotage, even as Nigerians are trying to come out of “price shock”, occasioned by the increment on May 29th 2023.

In a statement which was issued by Dr Basil Yelwa Musa, Convener, Malam Haruna Maigida, Co-Convener, Com. Ayo Temi Adebayo and two others on behalf of many others, they wondered the gut of IPMAN in running a parallel government outside a constitutionally recognized government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria headed by the Commander-in-Chief, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Coalition stated that they would mobilized their members and other stakeholders across the 36 States of the Federation to embark on a protest, adding that the protest will target at shutting down filling stations nationwide, as Nigerians cannot afford to be railroaded into ignominy of life by IPMAN.

Represented in the statement 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, they called on the government to call IPMAN to order, stressing that Nigerians are already watching and wallowing in difficulty over the recently adjusted fuel pump price with no palliative measures yet.

They insisted that the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has no statutory power to adjust fuel pump price, noting that any such move will be resisted at all cost, and “Nigerians would be mobilized to the streets across the federation.”

“As 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.

“If 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 government would have settled to come up with ameliorative measures for the citizens, but, IPMAN’s to adjust fuel pump price will stoke protests because it isn’t in the interest of Nigerians.”

The Coalition argued that if the proposed increase in pump price is actualized, it would have amounted to over 451% above what Tinubu’s administration met, allaying fears of hyper inflation of the cost of goods across the nation.

According to them, 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, while they advised the marketers association to brace up for a change as sharp practices in the downstream sector can no longer be condoned.