The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has firmly stated that it does not import adulterated premium motor spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol.
Olufemi Soneye, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC, made the statement on Tuesday in response to protests calling for the removal of Mele Kyari, the company’s Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Civil society organisations had gathered at NNPC’s headquarters in Abuja to protest the recent hike in petrol prices.
Soneye challenged anyone who claims NNPC imports adulterated petrol to provide concrete evidence, stating, “The NNPC Ltd. does not import adulterated fuel. If anyone has evidence to the contrary, they should present samples of any such fuel imported by NNPC Ltd.”
He emphasised that the company is focused on more pressing projects aimed at ensuring the nation’s energy security.
On November 3, Dangote Petroleum Refinery claimed that any oil marketer selling petrol cheaper than its own product is likely importing substandard fuel. This followed claims from some oil marketers that the refinery’s petrol was priced higher than imported alternatives.
Soneye also addressed the issue of rising fuel prices, stating that Kyari should not be blamed for the increase. The price of petrol was raised by NNPC from N855 per litre in September to N998 per litre on October 3. A second increase took place on October 28, with petrol now priced at N1,025 in Lagos and N1,050 in Abuja.
“Those blaming the CEO are simply uninformed,” Soneye said. “If they were knowledgeable, they would understand that the GCEO is not responsible for the price hike. In fact, the GCEO ensured that Nigerians had access to fuel at N620 per litre for over a year, even when the landing cost exceeded N1,100.”
Despite the protests, Soneye reiterated that NNPC remains committed to advancing President Bola Tinubu’s roadmap for energy security in Nigeria.
