This comes amidst speculations that the state-owned oil company plans to raise petrol pump price from the current N617 per litre to above N1000.
As Nigerians continue to face hardship occasioned by the fuel scarcity across the country, several Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) stations in major cities were shut against motorists as the uncertainties surrounding pump price heightened Tuesday morning.
PREMIUM TIMES correspondents who visited petrol stations across major Nigerian cities Tuesday found that some of the stations were shut while others were besieged by motorcyclists, tricycle owners, as well as private and commercial drivers.
This newspaper also found that some independent stations were equally shut.
As of 8 a.m. no NNPC fuel station sold petrol to motorists along Lugbe Airport Road and Ushafa, Bwari and Central Business District in Abuja, the nation's capital.
This is coming amidst speculations that the state-owned oil company plans to raise petrol pump price from the current N617 per litre to above N1000.
Directive to stop selling
This newspaper found that Matrix filling station along Gosa road was opened but commercial drivers and other customers were not attended to. One of the pump attendants told PREMIUM TIMES that there is a directive to stop selling the product.
"We have been selling for N710 since morning but we just got an order now to stop selling," the fuel attendant, who refused to have her name because she is not authorised to speak, said.
Similarly, at Mobil filling station located along the airport road, Lugbe, there was a long queue of motorists scrambling to get petrol. Shafa filling station, located along the airport road, was under lock and key Tuesday morning.
When PREMIUM TIMES visited Conoil filling station located beside the NNPC fuel station in Lugbe, a crowd of motorists struggled among themselves to buy petrol Tuesday morning.
An official at the Conoil filling station said: "We have not gotten any directive to stop selling. As you can see we are selling for N660. But it is just two of our pumps that are dispensing."
When PREMIUM TIMES arrived at one of the NNPC outlets in Lugbe, the attendants had stopped dispensing to customers, but some of the motorists refused to leave the petrol station.
"We are supposed to be selling since morning but we are asked to stop. We are waiting for orders from above. But we heard that they might increase it to between N700 - N710," a pump attendant told this newspaper.
At the NNPC station located at the Central Business District, along GSM village, the station manager told PREMIUM TIMES that they were expecting "an order from above" before they could begin dispensing fuel.
"The way our leaders are controlling us in this country is so unfortunate. They just informed us this morning to stop selling the product because they want to increase the price. They are currently adjusting the price and as soon as they are done it will reflect on the pump," the station manager said.
Many of the attendants who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES in some of the outlets explained that they declined to sell petrol in anticipation of a price hike Tuesday morning.
At Ushafa, Bwari, the pump attendant confirmed a directive from the headquarters to hold sales until further instructions which may either be an increase or decrease in pump price.
But as of 7.37 a.m. the pump price remained at N617.
Katsina, Kano, Jigawa
In Katsina metropolis, PREMIUM TIMES found that a litre is being sold at N980 in most of the filling stations while some sell for N900.
"I've also bought N920 at a popular petrol station on airport road, Lolo Dakare at N920.
"This morning, Sandton Petroleum Station on Government House road, Modoji sells at N980. Katsina Global Resources also in Modoji sells at N975. Dan Marna Petroleum sells at N900 in the state. Meanwhile, just confirmed that two NNPC stations and a NIPCO station on Mani road have all been closed since Friday last week," a resident in the state said.
In Jigawa, this newspaper found that as of 10.49 a.m, fuel sold at N950 per litre across stations, but the NNPC outlet in Dutse, the state capital, remained close.
The situation was the same in Kano as of press time Tuesday morning.
Lagos, Ogun states
At Akute-Alagbole road, Ogun State, PREMIUM TIMES found a long queue of buyers at the NNPC outlet.
Motorists said they have been waiting since 5.a.m to buy fuel at N580 per litre, a price lower than the over N900 per litre charged by nearby stations like Mobil, causing frustration among drivers and motorcyclists.
In Lagos, the NNPC outlet on Awolowo road, displayed N855 as the pump price when PREMIUM TIMES arrived Tuesday morning.
At Agbelekale, Abule Egba, Command Secondary School road, a fuel attendant said they got an "order from above" to stop selling around 10 a.m Tuesday morning.
Akwa Ibom State
A long queue was formed by motorists at NNPC mega station in Itam along Ikot Ekpene Road in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
PREMIUM TIMES reporter at the scene found that the premises is under lock and key with a petrol truck inside.
No sales was going on as of 9.43 a.m. as car owners complained bitterly about the situation.
Government denies increase
But in its reaction to the scarcity and anticipation of a hike in prices, the Nigerian government denied reports suggesting it ordered the NNPC Ltd to sell fuel at N1,000 above the approved pump price.
Nneamaka Okafor, the special adviser on media and communication to the Minister for State, Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, in a statement on Tuesday said "the federal government is compelled to address the outright falsehoods currently being circulated on social media, which claim that the Mr Lokpobiri, has directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) to inflate petroleum prices to one thousand Naira (N1000) above the approved pump price.
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"We categorically condemn these claims as baseless, malicious, and a deliberate attempt to incite public discontent. We challenge anyone in possession of any evidence-be it written documents, audio, or video recordings-that supports these fabrications to make it public. Such a claim is entirely devoid of truth and should be recognized as an intentional effort to mislead the public," the spokesperson said.
She said it must be stressed that NNPC Ltd operates as an independent entity under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), with a fully empowered Board of Directors.
"The Ministry of Petroleum Resources does not, and will not, interfere in the internal decisions of NNPC Ltd, including pricing matters. Any suggestion otherwise is not only incorrect but also reveals a profound misunderstanding of the deregulated nature of Nigeria's petroleum sector.
"The public is hereby strongly advised to dismiss these malicious rumors. The Honourable Minister cannot, and does not, direct NNPCL or any other entity within the sector to manipulate prices. Any claim to the contrary is nothing more than an ill- conceived attempt to sow discord and confusion.
"We urge all Nigerians to remain vigilant and rely solely on information from verified and official channels," she said.
Olufemi Soneye, the chief corporate communications officer of NNPC Ltd, declined to comment on the matter when reached Tuesday morning.
