The Federal Government has dismissed reports alleging that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources instructed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to sell fuel at ₦1,000 per litre.
In a statement released on Tuesday by Nnemaka Okafor, Special Adviser on Media and Communication to the Minister of Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, the government labeled the report as fabricated and intended to create discord and confusion within the oil industry.
The report purportedly claimed that Lokpobiri had issued the directive to NNPCL. However, the minister clarified that the Federal Government has not interfered in the pricing of petroleum products by NNPCL.
The statement read: “The Federal Government must address the falsehoods circulating on social media, alleging that Minister Senator Heineken Lokpobiri directed NNPCL to raise petroleum prices above the approved pump price. These claims are baseless and a deliberate attempt to incite public discontent. We urge anyone with evidence—whether written documents, audio, or video—to make it public.
“These allegations are entirely false and represent a deliberate effort to mislead the public. NNPCL operates as an independent entity under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, with its own Board of Directors. The Ministry of Petroleum Resources does not and will not interfere in NNPCL’s internal decisions, including pricing matters. Such suggestions reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of Nigeria’s deregulated petroleum sector.
