RIGHTS GROUP FAULTS ENFORCEMENT OF NEW PUMP PRICE OF FUEL

HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS' ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA, HURIWA, a development focused non-Governmental Organization has on Sunday criticised the Federal Government's run Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency [PPPRA] for failing to enforce nation-wide, the newly introduced pump price of premium motor spirit [fuel] which was recently reviewed slightly downward from the extremely exorbitant cost of N70,00 [seventy Naira] per liter to N65,00 [Sixty five Naira] just as it urged the Federal Government to ensure that all private petroleum products' marketers across the country comply with the new rate of N65 which in any case is still too high.

Specifically, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency [PPPRA] had in a media statement issued from the Presidency and endorsed by one Yusuf Mua'azu announced the marginal reduction in the pump price of premium motor spirit from N70,00 per liter to N65,00. According to the Federal Government Agency, the new market pump price came about because of downward trend in the prices of crude refined petroleum products at the international market, a development it stated, brought open market pricing of premium motor spirit below N70,00 per liter. PPPRA in the media release stated that it was within its statutory mandate to constantly review the pump prices of petroleum products even as it asserted that the new recommended price of premium motor spirit is now N65,00.

HURIWA in a media statement made available to journalists and endorsed by its National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko faulted the enforcement of the new pump price of petroleum products across the Country and alleged that the pump price of premium motor spirit in the South Eastern states of Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and Anambra is still a dismal N90,00 per liter even as the few available Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation's filling stations across the South east region cannot meet the huge demands of vehicle operators who have crowded around them to purchase premium motor spirit at the recommended prices since they are the only places where fuel is dispensed at the official rate.

The Rights Group which criticised the slow response by the Federal Government to the clarion calls from a cross section of the Nigerian people to reduce the pump prices of premium motor spirit following the drastic cut in the international price of refined crude, nevertheless, challenged the Government to show leadership by enforcing the implementation of the newly introduced open market price of premium motor spirit across the country since Nigeria is a Federal Republic run by a single Federal Government. HURIWA asserted that our field officers reported from Owerri that as at yesterday Sunday January 25th 2009, premium motor spirit was sold at N90,00 per liter even as it was observed that no deliberate effort is made by either the Petroleum Products Regulatory Agency [PPPRA], NNPC or indeed the Federal Ministry of Commerce to enforce compliance by fuel marketers of the newly introduced open market pump price of premium motor spirit.The Rights Group called on the Consumer Protection Council to immediatelly implement its mandate of protecting the interest of Nigerian consumers who are at the receiving end of this differential and discriminatory open market price of the premium motor spirit.

HURIWA stated thus; "It is unfortunate that most Nigerians are compelled to purchase premium motor spirit and other refined petroleum products at prices far higher than what most Human Beings around the World buy them and ironically, even in countries where Crude oil is not produced, the prices of petroleum products are far cheaper and affordable than what Nigerians, the citizens of the country that is the sixth or seventh largest crude oil endowed and producing nation in the World, are buyng the petroleum products. Even in civilized and well advanced nations where infrastructures of Electricity power and rural and urban roads are readily available for the asking like in Britain, Germany, Belgium and even the United States, consumers and vehicle operators still get cheaper fuel than Nigerians. This trend must change because the cost of living of most Nigerians has gone from bad to worst in the recent times largely because of the unstable and high purchasing open market prices of petroleum products like fuel and kerosine."

Citing the example of the transportation cost from Onitsha, the commercial hub of Anambra State to Ogwu Ikpele in Ogbaru Local Government area of Anambra State which has gone up from N400,00 a little over a year ago to an astonishing N700,00 in January 2009, the Rights Group appealed to the federal Government to ensure that the subsidy provided for premium motor spirit and kerosine meant to cushion the effects of the exorbitant cost of petroleum products for the very impoverished population who are in the clear majority in Nigeria, benefits the poor and not the middle men engaged in refined petroleum products' importation into Nigeria. HURIWA also called on the Federal Government to live up to its' pledge to rehabilitate the delapidated petroleum refineries across the country and to recover all stolen funds meant for the turn around maintenance of these near-collapsed petroleum refineries.