Group Backs Petrol Price Hike, Cautions Labour Unions

The Conscience Nigeria (CN) in partnership with other leading Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has backed the federal government decision to increase the price of petrol to N145

The group, which also comprises Stand Up Nigeria, Centre for Leadership Development (CPALD), National Youth Council of Nigeria, Arise Nigeria and a host of others in a statement yesterday, supported what they described as the bold step of the present leaders of the country to fully deregulate the oil sector.

In the release signed by the Executive Director, CN, Tosin Adeyanju, the CSOs said that the new face of this deregulation ably led by Ibe Kachiukwu is worthy of commendation after many years of monumental corruption in the subsidy regime.

Adeyanju said: “No nation can move forward without liberalisation or deregulation of its critical sectors like ours as it was done in the telecom sector, about 80 per cent of our countries revenue comes from oil proceed and as the global economic meltdown continue there is need for this to take place if we must be taken seriously among committee of nations.”

Therefore, he said, the step taken by the federal government to deregulate this critical sector is the best as at this material time.

Jalingo Residents Welcome Hike as Marketers Resume Sales

A cross section of Jalingo residents have continued to hail the recent hike in the price of fuel as most of the filling stations that have been under lock and key have opened for business.

This is coming just as the long queues that have characterised the NNPC mega stations and retail outlets have disappeared with the motorists buying fuel with ease unlike the case in the past four months.

Unlike last other stations where fuel was being sold at N145, the product was being sold at N143 at the NNPC mega station and retail outlets on Sunday.

The downward review of the price, according to officials at the NNPC stations was based on the directive from their head office though other stations still maintained the price at N145.

Most of the motorists who spoke with THISDAY hailed the development which has finally brought to an end the endless queues at the mega stations due to the refusal of the other marketers to sell products.

A retired Chief Superintendent of Police, Emeka Atama, who spoke with THISDAY at Kashere filling station in Jalingo, the hardship faced by residents of Jalingo in the past months had been harrowing saying since he could not afford to spend days on queues in order to buy fuel, he buys at the black market for as high as N300 per litre.

Meanwhile, there has not been any significant increase in the cost of transportation in Jalingo as transporters still maintain the fares they charged before the increment.