Alhassan Doguwa, a member of the House of Representatives representing Tudun Wada/Doguwa Federal Constituency in Kano State, has called on the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to urgently revert the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, to its previous rate.
This appeal comes in light of the ongoing fuel scarcity and surging costs.
In a statement released on Thursday, Doguwa, who chairs the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), expressed deep concern over the worsening situation, especially as long queues persist in major cities and black marketers sell petrol for as high as N1,500 per litre.
In cities like Abuja and Lagos, NNPCL filling stations charge N880 per litre, while independent marketers charge between N950 and N970 per litre.
Doguwa described the rising fuel prices, which have worsened since the removal of the fuel subsidy, as unacceptable and burdensome for Nigerians already grappling with economic challenges.
βAs 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,β Doguwa said.
βNigerians are currently going through a lot, and adding to this burden is not in our collective best interest. Let us revert to the old pump price as soon as possible and intensify engagements with major stakeholders to address the problem.β
The lawmaker also criticized private companies that exploit gaps in the system to make arbitrary profits, adding that this worsens the situation for citizens.
Doguwa, who is also Chairman of the Special Committee on Crude Oil Theft and Vandalization of Pipelines, pledged that his committee would work to combat the loss of revenue caused by crude oil theft, which is one of the factors affecting petrol supply across the country.
βWe are working in collaboration with security agencies to secure oil pipelines and other critical facilities. A return to the old pump price will calm frayed nerves, enabling Nigerians to go about their daily activities with ease,β Doguwa added.
In his statement, Doguwa urged Nigerians to be patient with the administration of President Bola Tinubu, emphasizing that the government’s recent efforts, including the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act and the revitalization of refineries in Port Harcourt and Warri, would eventually stabilize the oil and gas sector.
βWe may be suffering today, but our tomorrow will be better,β Doguwa assured.
βThe government of the day is taking significant steps, which may be painful now, but very soon, we will beat our chests as proud Nigerians. Tinubu means well for us, and he is desirous of leaving a legacy that future generations will be proud of.β
Doguwa encouraged citizens to trust in the government’s long-term strategy, reiterating that the challenges faced by the oil and gas sector are largely due to past administrations’ failure to take bold action.
He expressed optimism that the current government is committed to securing Nigeriaβs rightful place in the global oil market.