The federal government has denied social media claims that it issued a directive to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) or any other entity to increase petroleum prices to N1,000.
Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), in a statement Tuesday by his media adviser, Nnemaka Okafor, said the federal government was “compelled to address the outright falsehood and malicious claims”.
“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 recognised as an intentional effort to mislead the public,” he added.
He explained that the NNPC Ltd. was an independent entity under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), with a fully empowered Board of Directors.
The minister said that his ministry does not, and will not interfere in NNPC Ltd.’s internal decisions, 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,” he said.
Urging the public to disregard the claims, the minister said “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,” the minister said.
(NAN)
