The member representing Tudun Wada/Doguwa Federal Constituency in Kano State, Alhassan Doguwa, has called on the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to urgently revert to the previous pump price for Premium Motor Spirit commonly known as petrol.
The recent surge in fuel prices has exacerbated the fuel scarcity issue, with NNPCL raising the pump price to N855 per litre.
In Abuja and Lagos, the cost at NNPCL mega stations has reached N880 per litre, while independent marketers are charging between N950 and N970 per litre.
Doguwa, who chairs the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), expressed his discontent with the current pricing in a statement issued on Thursday.
He criticized the situation where private companies exploit systemic gaps to make excessive profits at the expense of Nigerian consumers.
The statement read in part, “As a committee, we urge the Nigerian government and of course the NNPCL to consider the plight of Nigerians and suspend this recent increase in pump price. Nigerians are currently going through a lot today and adding to this burden is not in our collective best interest. Let us revert to the old pump price as soon as possible.”
He further emphasized the committee’s commitment to addressing the underlying issues affecting fuel supply. “As a special committee, we will aggressively seek modalities to interface with the youths and community leaders in the oil-producing areas to address the frequent cases of crude oil theft, which is one of the reasons capable of affecting petrol supply across the country. We are working in collaboration with security agencies in their quest to secure oil pipelines and other critical facilities in the country. We believe that a return to the old pump price will calm frayed nerves, thus enabling Nigerians to go about their daily activities with ease,” Doguwa stated.
Doguwa also acknowledged the broader context of the government’s efforts. “We may be suffering today but tomorrow will be better. The government of the day is taking significant steps which may be painful today but very soon, we will beat our chest as proud Nigerians because the future is great. Tinubu means well for us and he is desirous of leaving a legacy that future generations will be proud of,” he added.
This call for action underscores the growing frustration among Nigerians as they grapple with the steep rise in fuel prices and the broader economic challenges facing the nation.
