Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has advised the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, to go back to the old price of the Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as Petrol.
NNPCL had a few days ago increased the price of PMS across the country.
MURIC in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, also advised NNPCL to allow Dangote Refinery to operate freely without undue interference.
Akintola, in the statement made available to Newsmen on Friday, noted: “Nigerians are going through severe hardship. There is hunger in the land. Inflation has made life difficult for many, particularly after the removal of fuel subsidy, which shot the price of petrol to the rooftop. But Nigerians were assured of coming relief as they were told that the price of petrol would reduce drastically when Dangote Refinery starts to function.
“To make matters worse, NNPCL made itself the only marketer of Dangote fuel, thereby sandwiching the latter’s product. By taking these two actions, NNPC has effectively taken control of Dangote’s fuel and the real owner cannot determine the price of its product. This is an ambush, a punch below the belt.
“If NNPC had not increased the price of its own fuel, the decision to monopolise Dangote’s fuel would have favoured the hoi polloi, but by increasing the price and restricting the supply of Dangote’s fuel to itself alone, NNPC has rendered Dangote Refinery helpless.
“MURIC finds NNPC’s action to be anti-people, immoral and lacking in conscience. It is an open secret that the prices of most products, particularly food items, are tied to the umbilical cords of petroleum and its price. The latter is the engine room that moves the economy.
“Nigerians are hungry today because the price of petrol skyrocketed and the prices of foodstuffs rose astronomically and spontaneously.”