Nigerians in the Federal Capital Territory are struggling to locate the sales points for the N40,000 subsidised rice that was officially launched by the Federal Government last week.

The launch, which took place on September 5, 2024, saw the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, flagging off the sale of 30,000 metric tonnes of milled rice at a subsidised rate of N40,000 per 50kg bag.

Speaking at the launch in Abuja, Kyari revealed that the initiative was driven by the commitment of President Bola Tinubu to ensuring that “Nigerians do not go to bed hungry.”

He acknowledged the various challenges that contributed to the current high cost of food in the country, including the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, climate change, and local economic factors.

“We are all aware that in the recent past, especially after the mass of COVID-19, and due to the Russian-Ukraine war, climate change and other localised factors, challenges food prices, have made it difficult for Nigerians,” Kyari said.

He assured the public that the government has put in place mechanisms to ensure transparency and the smooth sale of the subsidised rice.

He urged citizens to cooperate with government agencies to make the initiative successful, stating, “I, therefore, urge our dear citizens to cooperate with the relevant agencies of government who will try to serve you to achieve this great initiative of the government.

“Let us work together to ensure that the dream of the present administration to uphold the fundamental right to food for all Nigerians is achieved.”

Kyari also stated that to ensure fair distribution, the rice sales would follow a “one person, one bag” policy.

But despite the fanfare around the launch, FCT residents have expressed frustration over their inability to locate designated collection or payment points for the rice. Many say they have not seen any distribution points set up in their local areas.

A resident of Kuje Area Council, Mrs Yunusa Eleojo, shared her disappointment. She recounted buying a bag of rice from a wholesale vendor for N84,000, more than double the price promised by the government.

“I only heard the government is selling rice at N40,000 per bag, I don’t know where the stores are located, not to talk of how to buy,” she said.

“I had to buy a bag of rice for N84,000 on Friday from a wholesaler who even claimed it was a wholesale price,” she added.

Another resident from Bwari Area Council, identified as Mama Twins voiced similar concerns.

“We saw them showing rice on the television saying the government is selling rice for N40,000 but up till now, we are not aware of anywhere to buy the rice here,” she said.

She also raised concerns that middlemen might take advantage of the distribution chain, further complicating access to the subsidised rice.

Another FCT resident, Salami Taiwo expressed skepticism about the entire initiative.

“The day I heard about the N40,000 per bag of rice I knew it would not be realistic because of the way the government has been treating us,” he said.

Efforts to get a response from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security regarding the matter were not successful as of press time.

Officials at the Public Affairs Department of the ministry did not respond to enquiries on the matter.

As the public awaits further clarification from the government on where and how to access the subsidised rice, the frustration among residents continues to grow.

Many hope the distribution issues will be resolved soon so that the subsidised rice can reach those who need it most.

The Senior Prophet of Christ MercyLand Deliverance Ministry, Abuja, Jeremiah Fufeyin, has denied allegations suggesting that his ministry has been using the name of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control to mislead the public regarding spiritual items.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the church’s media arm, and signed by Sophia Iloyd, the church described the allegations as false and misleading.

The statement was in a response to NAFDAC’s statement on Sunday, alerting the public to the activities of Fufeyin’schurch claiming he had been using the agency’s name to deceive the public.

The church, however, said it is a law-abiding institution that respects the laws of the land, including those of NAFDAC. 

It emphasised that it operates under the protections of Sections 38 and 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantee freedom of religion and expression.

“As a church, we are guided by our faith and the teachings of the Bible. We have been using spiritual items as an expression of our religious beliefs.

“The church strongly denied claims made in the publication, which suggested that NAFDAC was warning the public about the ministry’s activities.

“At no point has our church deceived the public. We have not produced or sold consumable items to the public, let alone used NAFDAC’s name to do so,” the statement read

It further clarified that the only complaint pending against the church is a petition by one Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, also known as Verydarkblackman, who the church has taken to court over various allegations.

Fufeyin’s church acknowledged receiving a letter from NAFDAC dated August 27, 2024, which invited the church’s spiritual head for an inquiry into its use of miracle and healing items.

However, the church claimed that it was given less than 12 hours to respond and had already communicated its position to NAFDAC via official correspondence.

The church also alleged that the complainant, Otse, forged receipts to back his claims against the ministry.

These receipts, it said, were different from the ones typically issued by the church’s accounting office and had discrepancies in dates and details.

“We have written to NAFDAC and informed them that the receipts submitted by the complainant are under police investigation. Despite this, NAFDAC has not responded to our letters or provided any feedback on the matter,” the statement concluded.

The Dangote refinery may resort to exporting its Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) following the refusal of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to be the sole buyer of its product.

The NNPC, in a statement by its spokesman, Olufemi Soneye, said on Saturday that it would not buy Dangote fuel unless it was cheaper than that of the international market.

This is contrary to claims by the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, that the refinery was waiting for the NNPC to roll out its product.

On Saturday, the NNPC stated that it would only fully offtake petrol from the refinery if the market prices of PMS were higher than the pump prices in Nigeria. 

The NNPC also declared that Dangote and other domestic refineries were free to sell directly to any marketer on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, adding that it had no desire or intention to become the distributor for any entity in a free market environment.

The company was reacting to a press release by the Muslim Rights Concern, which claimed that the Dangote refinery was being undermined by the NNPC.

MURIC stated that recent changes to the pump price of petrol by the NNPC would prevent the refinery from offering lower prices, and that the corporation had become the sole offtaker of all products from the refinery. 

Responding, the NNPC said, “The pricing of petroleum products from any refinery, including Dangote Refinery Limited, is determined by global market forces.

“The recent changes in PMS prices have no impact on DRL or any other domestic refinery’s access to the Nigerian market. In fact, if current prices are perceived as high, it presents an ideal opportunity for the refinery to sell its products at lower prices in the Nigerian market.

“Furthermore, we emphasise that there is no guarantee of lower prices associated with domestic refining compared to any global parity pricing framework, as confirmed by the DRL. The NNPC Ltd will only fully offtake PMS from the DRL if the market prices of PMS are higher than the pump prices in Nigeria. The DRL and any other domestic refinery are free to sell directly to any marketer on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, which is the current practice for all fully deregulated products. NNPC Ltd has no desire or intention to become the distributor for any entity in a free market environment, and therefore, the notion of becoming a sole off-taker does not arise.”

Soneye added that the NNPC could not undermine a business in which it held a billion-dollar investment.

Dangote’s wait

While unveiling the 650,000-capacity refinery on Tuesday, Dangote had stated that the facility would roll out petrol whenever the NNPC was ready.

Dangote disclosed that petrol would get to the filling stations in the next 48 hours (from Tuesday) after all arrangements with the NNPC were concluded, adding that the queues would soon be over. 

“Our PMS can be in filling stations within the next 48 hours, depending on NNPCL,” he said.

He spoke further, “We are ready. I pray that within the next few days, you won’t see any petroleum queues as soon as we finalise with NNPC. We are ready, we are waiting for them (NNPC) and I hope they will be ready like yesterday.”

Dangote told newsmen that he could not disclose the price of the petrol because the NNPC was in a position to control it.

“On the pricing, I can’t say anything because we don’t control the pricing. At the moment, it is controlled by NNPC, not Dangote. We will wait for them. But, our own for now is to make sure that the product is available and round-tripping is stopped,” he noted.

The businessman emphasised that the NNPC was the company that would sell and distribute the product under the current naira crude sale arrangement.

“Once the NNPC is ready, we roll. We are even ready to load a ship this week,” he added.

Product export 

But it seems the talk between the two companies have collapsed, which may result in the company selling its petrol abroad.

The NNPC has issued several statements denying that it will fix the price for Dangote or be its sole off-taker, even as the refinery has yet to roll out its product.

Nigerians have wondered why the NNPC decided to hike the pump price of petrol the same day Dangote refinery unveiled its petrol, after several months of implicit subsidy payment.

The masses, who were hopeful that the Dangote fuel would crash the price of petrol, may be losing hope.

Speaking on the Brekete Family live show on Monday, the Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, said Dangote petrol would be exported if the NNPC and other petroleum dealers in the country refused to patronise it.

Asked if the petrol would be sold locally, Edwin replied, “There has been a kind of a blockade from lifting our products within the country. The traders have been trying to blockade, and so now, we have been exporting our petroleum products. We are ready to pump in PMS as much as possible to the country.

“But if the traders or NNPC are not buying the product, obviously we will end up exporting the PMS as we are doing with the aviation jet and diesel,” he declared. 

Edwin expressed surprise that the company started facing challenges it never expected when the refinery was set to commence operations.

He recalled that the philosophy initially was to add value to the raw materials available in the country, regretting that Nigeria was still exporting crude and importing refined petroleum products after over three decades.

Despite having a gantry that can load 2,900 tankers per day, Edwin disclosed that the refinery had not loaded up to five per cent of the gantry’s capacity owing to low local patronage.

In an interview with our correspondent, a professor of Economics at the University of Ibadan and President of the Nigerian Economics Society, Adeola Adenikinju, advised that the government and the NNPC should buy PMS from the Dangote refinery instead of importing from another country.

“Dangote refinery is a private business; he will export to where he can make money. He cannot be subsidising our economy. It is still going to be cheaper for the NNPC to buy from Dangote than to import from Europe. Dangote has to run the business and pay his debts, he can’t subsidise us,” Adenikinju noted.

IPMAN ready to buy fuel

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria on Saturday said it would buy PMS from Dangote at any price, even if the NNPC refused to buy.

The National President of the association, Abubakar Maigandi, told our correspondent that the independent marketers were ready to patronise Dangote.

“Whatever the case, if Dangote starts selling his product, we are going to patronise him; if at all he wants to do business with us.

“We are ready to buy at any price because the NNPC is saying that they don’t want to involve themselves in fixing prices. So, at any price that he wants to sell, we are ready to buy and discharge and sell at a good price,” Maigandi stated.

Members of IPMAN own about 80 per cent of the filling stations in Nigeria, especially in rural communities.

On Thursday, the NNPC also said it was waiting for a September 15 timeline given to it by the refinery.

However, the latest comments from the NNPC indicate all is not well with the negotiations between the two companies.

The spokesman for the Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, did not answer calls or reply messages sent to him by our correspondent on Saturday.

Black marketers sell fuel N1,400 in Benue

Meanwhile, black marketers are making brisk business as most filling stations in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, closed for business.

Since the hike in the price of the petroleum product, many filling stations have been shut down while the black market has resurfaced.

Our correspondent, who monitored the situation in Makurdi on Saturday, observed that several filling stations were not operating while black marketers were using their frontage to sell the product to motorists.

The product was sold between N1,300 and N1,400 per litre.

This development resulted in few vehicles plying the roads, while transport fares skyrocketed and  people resorted to trekking.

Motorists crowd NNPC stations for fuel 

Despite the promise made by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, that fuel would be available in filling stations by the weekend, the situation in Ondo State has not improved.

A visit to some filling stations in Akure, the state capital, showed that many petrol stations were still under lock and key following unavailability of the product, while NNPC stations with the product had long queues.

Also, some stations of the independent marketers were selling for between N950 and N1,100 per litre.

In Ekiti State, many petrol stations dispensed petrol to customers, while a few did not have the product.

But the price was between N950 and N1,200 per litre at the stations dispensing petrol.

Long queues of vehicles were at the few stations selling the product at between N950 and N960 per litre.

A self-employed man, Mr Abel Olode, who said he bought some litres of petrol for N960 per litre on Friday, said, “I parked the car at home and boarded a motorcycle to my place of work today. Using it daily will drain my finances.” 

Filling stations belonging to major marketers in Ogun State sold fuel for between N868 and N890 per litre, while independent marketers sold for between N950 and N1,200 per litre.

The NNPC outlets, however, sold at N865 per litre.

A motorist, Adeolu Bashir, said, “Nothing has changed with the fuel situation. The independent marketers are selling the fuel for N1,200; meanwhile, not many of the filling stations are selling the product.”

As of September 7, 2024, independent marketers in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, were dispensing fuel at N1,100 and N1,200 per litre. There were no long queues in most of the filling stations in the city

Long queues still persisted in most of the filling stations in Zamfara State, despite the hike in fuel price.

Most of the filling stations, controlled by IPMAN in Gusau town and other parts of the state, were selling a litre of fuel between N1,100 and N1,150.

There was no fuel in all the mega stations visited by Sunday PUNCH as of the time of filing this report.

Despite the scarcity of PMS in some states, the product seemed to be available in most filling stations across the 13 LGAs of Nasarawa State.

When our correspondent visited some of the stations in Lafia, the state capital, on Saturday, it was observed that there were no queues.

The prices of PMS in Obi, Awe, Keana, Doma, Toto and Nassarawa Eggon LGAs had skyrocketed to N1,100 per litre.

Filling stations such as Sandaji, Hayattu, Alh Dauda Muhammadu, Nagoda, Rainoil among others, all sold at N990 per litre.

Meanwhile, the product is currently being sold between N1,200 and 1,400 by the black market dealers in several locations across the state.

In an interview with our correspondent, one of the black marketers, Musa Inusa, said getting the product had become “extremely difficult” for him because of the strict restrictions and increase in price.

ome experts have expressed concern that the hike in the pump price of petrol could lead to malnutrition in the country.

The experts, who said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Abuja, said the situation could occur due to the increased cost of living for many households.

NAN reports that the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited Ltd, NNPCL Retail Management on September 3 approved the upward review of petrol pump price from N568 – N617 per litre to N897 per litre.

A development economist, Mohammad Nazifi noted that low income earners would be worse hit by the new price, because of the likely increase in cost of transportation which would also affect food prices.

Mr Nazifi said that the situation could lead to health challenges such as malnutrition and increased food insecurity in the country.

“The rising cost of food and other essentials can lead to malnutrition or food insecurity, particularly among vulnerable populations. These factors can exacerbate health inequalities and strain public health systems,” he said.

According to him, the increased price can contribute to inflationary pressure on the economy, causing the cost of production to rise.

“The increase in Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) prices contributes to overall inflationary pressure. Nigeria’s inflation rate is already high at 34.19 per cent as of September 2024.

“As transportation and production costs rise due to higher fuel prices, these costs are passed on to consumers, leading to higher prices across board.

“This can create a cycle of rising costs and wages, potentially leading to cost-push inflation, which further erodes purchasing power and can slow economic growth,” he said.

An economic expert, Mr David Ambi, who also spoke to NAN, said that petroleum prices were a critical determinant of inflation, particularly in economies that heavily rely on petrol for transportation and production.

JaizBank
He maintained that the rising fuel costs typically lead to higher expenses throughout the supply chain, which in turn affects the prices of goods and services, including foodstuff.

“This phenomenon is known as ‘cost-push inflation, higher transportation and production costs lead to more expensive goods, from food to consumer electronics,” he said .

A public analyst, Bulus Dabit, said that the increase in fuel prices could exacerbate poverty by reducing the purchasing power of citizens, particularly low-income households.

“The increase in pump prices may disproportionately affect vulnerable populations such as the poor and marginalised, who may not have the means to absorb the additional costs,” he said.

Mr Dabit said that the decision to increase the prices had been criticised for being driven by external and personal economic interests rather than by scientific economic imperatives.

He said that any decision on such matters should involve consultations with citizens and be predicated on empathy, justice, accountability, patriotism, and nationalism.

Also, Charity Bello, the Secretary of Small-holder Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria, SWOFON, in Plateau, said that as long as petrol prices keep increasing, prices of food commodities would not drop.

Ms Bello said that food prices could stabilise if the government addresses insecurity in rural communities where most farming activities occur, in addition to the downward review of the cost of petrol.

NAN

Poland’s President Andrzej Duda said “very many” immigrants come to Europe expecting a free ride, in an interview aired Sunday on a US political affairs programme.

The comment comes against a background of Warsaw’s accusations against Moscow that it has tried to smuggle thousands of people from Africa into Europe by flying them to Russia and sending them to the Polish border via Belarus.

“If someone comes over to Poland in the false perception that one will stay here and get everything for free and will have a better life without working, well, we do not agree to such arrivals,” said Duda.

He was speaking to conservative news host Sharyl Attkisson on Sinclair Television’s “Full Measure” programme.

Asked by Attkisson whether great numbers of people were coming to Europe expecting a free ride, Duda said “yes”.

“I think that in very many cases, we have such a situation. That’s why there is such a reaction in the West of Europe,” he added.

The interview was also available online on the programme’s website.

Since summer 2021, thousands of migrants and refugees, mainly from the Middle East, have crossed or attempted to cross the border between Belarus — an ally of Russia — and Poland, a NATO and EU member.

In May, Warsaw announced it would spend more than 2.3 billion euros ($2.5 billion) on fortifying its eastern border with Belarus that it said Russia has used to destabilise the region with hybrid attacks.

The following month, a Polish soldier on patrol at the border was fatally stabbed through a five-metre-high (16-foot) metal fence that Poland had erected in 2022.

The Polish army also reported other attacks on troops at the border.

In July, Polish lawmakers voted to allow the security forces to use lethal weapons in response to active threats, including at the tense border with Belarus.

Workers in the nation’s telecommunications industry under the aegis of the Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association, PTECSSAN, will Monday begin an indefinite nationwide strike over sack, and poor working conditions among others.

Among the employees going on strike include field maintenance engineers, transmission engineers, customer service engineers, fibre engineers, and other critical staff.

There are fears that strike could disrupt telecommunications services nationwide if not resolved quickly.

Vanguard gathered that PTECSSAN, has pending issues with no fewer than 39 telecoms servicing companies including the sack of three of its members by Specific Tools & Technology Limited.

The 39 companies provide critical support services to the telecommunications operators in the country.

Vanguard was informed that the union had earlier given a seven day strike notice to the affected companies to address its demands or risk indefinite strike.

Among PTECSSAN’s demands include immediate recognition of the fundamental right of the employees to freely associate with the Union, immediate recognition of the Union as negotiating body for the employees on workers welfare and

immediate remittance of membership dues into the Union’s account as earlier provided.

The demands equally are immediate recognition of the years of service of these workers, immediate commencement of appropriate pensions deduction and remittance of same as required by the Pension Act, immediate approval of the National Health Insurance Scheme that covers the employees, their spouses and four of their dependents, immediate enrolment of Union members in the Group Life Insurance as stipulated in the Pension Reform Act 2004, Section 9(3).

The Union is also demanding immediate implementation of leave and leave allowance in accordance with the international best practices, immediate negotiation on review of salaries of the workers to meet the economic reality in the country today, and immediate provision Operational Vehicles or in the alternative immediate negotiation on review of the Self Drive/Self Rental to meet the economic reality in the country today.

Also in the Union’s demands are immediate stoppage of 24-hour job and introduction of work hours in accordance to the international best practices, immediate stoppage of work overload (combining passive tasks to theirs) on the workers, and immediate adherence to occupational health and safety for the workers in line with international best practices.

Announcing the commencement of strike, General Secretary of PTECSSAN Abdullahi Okonu said “We have made every effort to engage with employers, but our legitimate demands have been disregarded.

“This strike is a last resort to protect our members’ rights and well-being. We urge the public to understand our position and support our struggle for fair treatment.”

While pleading with Nigerians to bear with the Union throughout the period of the strike, PTECSSAN “assures that it will engage with employers and the government to resolve the issues, but the strike will continue until their demands are met.”

The soaring cost of domestic air travel in Nigeria is forcing many citizens to abandon air transportation, as one-way tickets now sell for over N200,000 on several routes.

Routes such as Lagos to Abuja, Enugu, Kano, and Owerri have seen unprecedented price hikes, with some flights costing as much as N650,000, depending on the airline and the time of booking.

A one-way economy class ticket from Lagos to Abuja, previously priced between N50,000 to N65,000, now ranges between N130,000 and N220,000.

Similarly, flights from Lagos to Kano and Lagos to Owerri have reached staggering prices, with tickets costing up to N650,000 and N600,000, respectively.

Business Day reports that the surge in prices is attributed to a combination of factors, including the scarcity of foreign exchange, increased maintenance costs, and the grounding of some domestic airlines, such as Dana Air.

According to the report, many airlines are struggling to maintain their fleets, with fewer aircraft available to meet demand, creating a virtual monopoly on certain routes.

Passengers like Patience Kofo, who used to frequently travel with her children from Lagos to Abuja, have been priced out of flying.

“I used to spend between N500,000 to N600,000 on return tickets, but now it costs over N1.5 million,” she said.

Similarly, frequent business traveller Musa Iyal had to cancel his trip after discovering that a one-way ticket from Kano to Lagos was priced at N230,000, citing that such high costs would erode his business profits.

With rising costs and reduced fleet availability, many Nigerians are turning to alternative forms of transportation, making air travel increasingly a luxury reserved for the wealthy.

The Naira raced to N2,000 per dollar at the black market on Saturday despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s sale of dollars to the Bureau De Change operators.

A BDC operator, Dayyabu Ashiru confirmed to DAILY POST that Naira was exchanged for N1,670 per dollar on Saturday from the N1665 exchange rate last Friday.

“We buy at N1665 per dollar and sell at N1670”, he said.

DAILY POST recalls that the apex bank announced that it sold $20,000 each to legible BDC operators at N1580 per dollar rate last week.

Meanwhile, the appreciated last Friday at the official market to close the week at N1593.32 per dollar exchange rate.

The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the arrest of an officer involved in the brutalization and extortion of N3 million from a Ghana returnee in Bayelsa State, South-South Nigeria.

The police also confirmed that the extorted N3million had been recovered.

The Spokesperson for the police Zone 16 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, SP Gunn Ewhoborwo Emonena, confirmed to SaharaReporters on Saturday that "the team leader has been arrested and the money had been recovered and he has been sent to Abuja for further action."

He added, "He's in Abuja for trial, dismissal and charging to court. We the Nigerian police, we're the only organisation that disciplines our own. As I talk to you he's in Abuja; he has been moved to Abuja since Wednesday."

This comes after one Liberty Isaac Kelechi raised an alarm that he was brutalised and robbed of N3million at gunpoint by five policemen on duty in Bayelsa State.

Kelechi alleged that the five policemen at a checkpoint in Bayelsa stopped his vehicle and brutally compelled him to transfer N3 million to two different accounts they provided.

SaharaReporters had reported that narrating his ordeal in a viral video, Kelechi said he was travelling to Imo State with others on August 26, 2024, when five policemen on duty at a checkpoint seized their phone and compelled him to transfer N3 million to them in two separate accounts, operated by a virtual bank, moniepoint.

He further alleged that the law enforcement officers threatened to kill them if he would not transfer the said money.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked President Bola Tinubu to use his "leadership position and good offices to direct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) 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".

SERAP urged him to "direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies "to probe the allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the NNPC, including the spending of the reported $300 million 'bailout funds' collected from the Federal Government in August 2024, and the $6 billion debt it owes suppliers, despite allegedly failing to remit oil revenues to the treasury."

SERAP said, "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 an open letter dated 7 September 2024 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation 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."

The letter further reads: "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 support the operations of the NNPC have resulted in persistent and unlawful hike in petrol prices.

"Holding the NNPC to account for alleged corruption and mismanagement in the oil sector would serve legitimate public interests.

"The increase is causing immense hardship to those less well-off. We are concerned that as the economic situation in Nigeria deteriorates, the increase in petrol price is pushing people further into poverty.

"We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 48 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest." 

SERAP noted that the “government has a legal obligation to mobilize the maximum of the country's available resources to ensure people's socio-economic rights and to protect the most vulnerable and disadvantaged Nigerians".

"Your government also has the legal obligations to probe and prosecute allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the NNPC, and to ensure access to justice and effective remedies for victims of corruption," it said.

"Investigating and prosecuting allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the oil sector would be entirely consistent with the Nigerian Constitution, and the country's international anti-corruption obligations."

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited recently increased the price of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, across its retail outlets.

SERAP said, "The price of the product increased to N855 per litre, from about N600, and in some instances above N900 per litre. The apparently unlawful increase in petrol price followed a scarcity caused by the reported refusal by suppliers to import petroleum products for the NNPCL over a $6 billion debt.

"The NNPC reportedly failed to remit USD$2.04 billion and N164 billion of oil revenues into the public treasury, as documented in the recently published 2020 annual report by the Auditor-General of the Federation."