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Petrol sells for N70/litre
•No change in price
-- PPPRA
•NLC meets Tuesday
FRANCIS AWOWOLE-BROWNE, SOPURUCHI ONWUKA,
Lagos and DAVID AGBA, Abuja
SPECULATION was rife last night in
Lagos that a few oil major marketers may have effected fresh fuel price increase
with a litre of petrol sold at N70.00.
The development, Daily Champion checks revealed, was
effected in the evening in a surreptitious manner. The new price was not
displayed at the affected filling station even as the Petroleum Products Pricing
and Regulatory Agency, (PPPRA), denied approving any further price increase.
Major and independent petroleum marketers,
on their part, flatly denied knowledge of any fresh price increase.
But the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has
summoned a crucial meeting of its highest decision-making organ, the National
Executive Council (NEC) for Tuesday in Abuja as preparations moved into top gear
for an impending indefinite nationwide strike over fuel price hike.
The organ comprises chairmen and
secretaries of NLC’s 36 state councils and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
as well as presidents, general secrertaries and treasurers of congress’ 29
affiliate unions.
Yesterday’s price hike has attracted the
attention of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the body of senior staff workers,
which threatened to pull out of government’s committee to cushion the effects of
the fuel price hike.
Besides, the Petroleum and Natural Gas
Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) warned that the associations
will call an emergency meeting of its NEC if the price hike stands.
Signs that a new fuel price may have been
effected came when some motorists claimed that they bought petrol at N70.00 per
litre at the Mobil outlet in Maryland, yesterday evening.
The product sold at N64.00 per litre at
Conoil station located on Airpirt road, Mafoluku.
One of the motorists, a sport journalist,
said the Mobil attendants, however, did not display the new price but had
adjusted the pumps to reflect the increase.
An NLC NEC member, Mr. Emma Ugboaja, who
is also the general secretary of the National Union of Chemical Footwear Rubber
Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANMPE) told Daily Champion
that the proposed NEC meeting would discuss issues relating to the planned
strike.
PPPRA Executive Secretary, Dr. Oluwole
Oluleye told newsmen, last night, that the agency had not authorised any fresh
price increase, pointing out that he was unaware of the increase.
Chief executive officers of five out of
the six major petroleum marketing companies held a closed door meeting last
night.
Reliable sources close to the committee of
major petroleum marketers that control over 50 per cent of the domestic fuel
market said the agenda of the meeting had nothing to do with prices.
Contacts in the six majors said they were
still selling at the old prices as at last night and described any hike in
prices by any of their dealers as illegal and criminal.
A source, however, admitted that new
prices were being awaited from the PPPRA following the galloping prices at
international fuel markets from where part of domestic supplies are imported.
Spokesman of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Levi Ajuonuma, could not be reached to confirm
reported improvement in local refining expected to weed out significant
proportion of importation cost components that build up pump prices.
General secretary of TUC, Chief John
Kolawole told Daily Champion that his organisation will quit the Ibrahim
Mantu-led fuel price hike palliatives committee once the new price is official.
His colleague in the senior oil workers body, PENGASSAN,
Dr. M. Fadakinte said the association will call a NEC meeting if the price is
confirmed.
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