VANGUARD
AHEAD of the planned increase of pump price of premium motor spirit to N700 per liter, the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations has condemned the move, saying it was totally unacceptable, pure mischief, and sabotage.
Against this backdrop, the CSOs have vowed to resist and picket filling stations that sell fuel above the government-approved price, saying that plans by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, to increase the pump price of premium motor spirit to N700 per liter will not work.
A statement, on Friday, by the Convener, Dr Basil Yelwa Musa; Co-conveners, Malam Haruna Maigida and Ayo Adebayo, noted that it was unfortunate that the idea was being conceived as Nigerians are still grappling with “price shock”, occasioned by the increment on May 29.
The coalition, while reacting to the planned increment of fuel pump price from government-approved N448 per litre to N700, vowed to shutdown any station found wanting and sell above the approved price, adding that IPMAN was running a parallel government outside a constitutionally recognized government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria headed by the Commander-in-Chief, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to the Coalition, it would mobilize its members and other stakeholders across the 36 states of the Federation to embark on a protest, just as it stressed that the protest would be targeted at shutting down filling stations nationwide, as Nigerians cannot afford to be railroaded into the ignominy of life by IPMAN.
Members of the coalition include Oil and Gas Transparency and Advocacy Group, Civil Society Coalition for Economic Development (CED), Centre for Citizens Rights, Centre for Good Governance Advocacy, Action against Corruption in Nigeria and others.
They called on the government to call IPMAN to order, stressing that Nigerians are already watching and wallowing in difficulty over the recently adjusted fuel pump price with no palliative measures yet…
