By Ahmed Idris
The federal government has no plans to increase the pump prices of petroleum products in the country, Minister of information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed, said on Wednesday.
Fielding questions from State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, the minister said the country has enough fuel that would last till end of January 2018.
The minister told journalists that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachickwu, and the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) have been asked to clear the current fuel queues in some parts of the country.
“The government has no intention at all to increase the pump price of PMS. Two, the minister assured the council that we have enough products till the next one month even till the end of January.
“Thirdly, this is winter period. There is always more demand for refined products for petroleum during winter period in the colder countries, this is what we are experiencing now.
“Also that it has been the NNPC that has been importing but he has assured. The council gave him a marching order that this fuel scarcity should not last beyond this weekend and they are going to work very hard to ensure that it is curtailed. He assured council that there is actually no cause for alarm,” he said.
