Patience Leonard, PBA Journalism Mentee
Cultural Credibility Development Initiative (CCDI), a socio-cultural/political group, has called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) to reverse the new petrol price for the South-East as according to the group, the region seems to be paying higher than others in the country.
Following the unveiling of the “new” Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) on Tuesday, July 19th, some petrol marketers immediately released a new price list approved for petrol to sell above N165 per litre across the regions in the country.
The Credibility Group in an open letter addressed to the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Malam Mele Kyari, expressed dissatisfaction with the disparity in the new price regime, stating that it is very weird and unfair to petrol users in the South-East region of the country.
The president of CCDI, Chief Goddy Uwazurike said the group “unreservedly condemn the NNPC ltd fuel price list for the South East that was released yesterday”.
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He said “ The price list equated the cost of fuel to the users in the South-east with the North-west parts of Nigeria.”
The senior lawyer and human rights activist argued that “It is a well-known fact that the fuel consumed in the South East and South South is transported from Port Harcourt and Warri Depots. The user in the South-South pays N179 per litter but must pay N184 the moment he crosses the Niger or Imo River Bridges.”
“What is mind-boggling is that the two zones are intertwined so much, that the Port Harcourt-Owerri Road really has no demarcation.
“Now it gets very weird, if not voodoo economics, that fuel is cheaper in the North Central zone than in the oil-producing South East.
“Credibility Group demands the reversal of this jaundiced economic strangulation mind will equate the cost of delivery of fuel to the South East” Uwazurike added.
According to report by Daily Post, the regional price list becomes effective today. It stated that the rate rose by N14 from N165 to N179 per litre for the South-West, South-South and South-East regions.
“The price was raised to N184 in the North West and N189 in the North East, representing a N24 increase, the highest in the new adjustment.
“Petrol will now sell at N179 in the North Central region. Although the product will sell for N169 in Lagos, marketers will sell for N174 in Abuja.
“There is also an upward adjustment in the ex-depot price in the Lagos axis from N148.17 to a range of N160 and N162.
“Depots in Warri/Oghara have their rates adjusted to N162-N165, while Port Harcourt depots will sell for N165-167” stated the report.
