Federal Government Denies increase in PMS Pump Price

The Federal Government has denied any increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit popularly called petrol, despite the hike in the cost of the commodity across the country.

In a statement released in Abuja by his media assistant, Horatius Egua, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, said that President Muhammadu Buhari had not given his approval for any price increases on PMS or any other petroleum products. There is currently no justification for President Muhammadu Buhari to break his earlier commitment not to authorize a price rise for PMS. The President is sympathetic to the predicament of the average Nigerian and has frequently stated that he comprehends their difficulties and would not want to subject the electorate to unimaginable agony.

“The government will not surreptitiously sanction any increase in PMS without having consulted with the necessary parties. No institution, including the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), has received a directive from the president to raise the cost of petroleum. There should not be a price rise on the PMS pump at this time.

The Minister noted that “What is playing out is the handiwork of mischief makers and those planning to discredit the achievements of Mr. President in the oil and gas sector of the economy. I appeal to Nigerians to remain calm and law-abiding as the government is working hard to bring normalcy to fuel supply and distribution in the country”