Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has said that it was illegal for the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, to fix petrol prices.
Falana, in a statement on Thursday, said the action by the petroleum company contravened the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA.
The human rights lawyer said though the NNPCL claimed the market has been deregulated and market forces now determine petrol prices, the NNPCL fixed the price of fuel refined by the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited last month, adding that the market forces were not allowed to fix the price.
“The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited announced new pump prices of fuel refined by the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company. Once again, the so-called market forces were not allowed to fix the new prices of fuel.
“The decisions of the NNPCL to fix the prices of imported fuel and locally refined fuel are illegal, nullity and void as they contravene the provisions of section 205 of the Petroleum Industry Act which stipulates that the prices of petroleum products shall be determined by market forces,” he said.
Recall that Nigerians woke up to another shocker on Wednesday morning when NNPCL retail outlets adjusted the pump price of petrol in Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
Peoplesmind