Vehicle owners and commuters in Lagos, on Thursday, decried the increment in pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), following the new ex-depot price announced by Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC).
The PPMC, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporations (NNPC), had on Wednesday announced a new ex-depot price of N151.56k for PMS, also known as petrol.
In Ikeja, Agege, Maryland, Egbeda and Iyana Ipaja axis of the state, some major marketers were seen selling fuel at N161 per litre.
However, some filling stations owned by Independent marketers dispensed the product at between N162 and N164 per litre, depending on their location.
A vehicle owner, Mr Victor Olaniyi, said that the increment caught him unawares and had left him frustrated.
He said: “I usually fill my tank once a week and I was supposed to fill it on Tuesday but I was unable to and I had to buy fuel at N162 today.
“I believe the increment is much, because last week, I bought fuel at N148 per litre. Government should please look into this because it will affect everybody,” he said.
Another motorist, Mr Taiwo Balogun, said as a private cab operator, he increased his fares to meet with realities in the country.
He said he usually picked people from Ikeja to G.R.A for N150 but increased the fare to N200 per passenger due to the fuel increment.
A businesswoman, Ms Joy Ibe, said she paid N500 from Iyana Ipaja to Oshodi, a journey that usually cost between N300 to N400 depending on the time of the day.
“My fear about the fuel increment was that bus drivers would take advantage of it to hike fares and that is what they have done.
“This is going to affect the cost of goods and services, unless something is done quickly,” she said.
Another commuter, Mr Michael Bamidele, said his plan was to commute with the BRT buses because they were cheaper than the commercial ones.
He said: “I leave very early to work now and join BRT. This morning, they (commercial buses) were carrying Iyana Ipaja to Oshodi at N400 while BRT which is faster is N300.
“The queue is now very long because everybody prefers waiting than being exploited by the commercial buses,” he explained.
The oil marketers had attributed the increment of the ex-depot price from N138.62k in August to N151.56k in September to market forces due to the deregulation of PMS by the government.
Meanwhile, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has advised Nigerians to use Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as an alternative to petrol and diesel in their vehicles for cost effectiveness and efficiency.
Chief Executive Officer of DPR, Sarki Auwalu, gave the advice when the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, paid an official visit to the headquarters of the department in Lagos.
Auwalu said vehicle owners could also use Liquefied Natural Gas (LPG) as alternative, which covers more kilometres on a comparative basis.
He said the gas products, which are cheaper and more effective, were available in Nigeria.
According to him, the petroleum industry regulatory and records maintaining agency is pushing for price freedom so that people can have choices on the type of fuel they want to use.
“The CNG tank will give you the alternative.
“It is interesting to know that if you buy CNG equivalent of N10,000 to diesel or petrol, the gas will take you to cover more distance.
“It covers about 1.8 kilometres for every one kilometre that petrol or diesel will take you with the same volume and price.
“To convert your car from fuel to CNG, you don’t need more than N200,000 and it can even be converted free of charge if you join a network of gas supplier,’’ he said.
The director said that DPR has gotten the Dangote Group to convert most of its fleet of trucks to CNG and the vehicles are performing optimally.
He said the agency “is now talking to road transport owners and the National Union of Road Transport Workers to take cue from Dangote by converting their commercial vehicles to CNG’’ too.
He said the agency was pushing for the Nigeria gas expansion programme to ensure that filling system is available at filling station where vehicles can buy CNG.
“We are equally pushing to make conversion kits available and this is also an area of new investment and job creation.
“We expect companies to invest in this new area of conversion for vehicle to be using both petrol and CNG.
“This will give Nigerians alternative to fuel and it will save government the huge amount for subsidy and other.’’
Auwalu said that in many countries, filling stations sell three kind of fuel with different prices for people to make their choice base on affordability and type of vehicle.
DPR is pushing for price freedom so that Nigerians can have choices of what kind of fuel they want to use, he said.
The director noted that 2020 has been declared as the ‘year of gas’ and that the government “is introducing policies and programmes to make gas available for different purposes’’.
Responding after a tour of DPR onshore and offshore tracking facilities, the minister hail the management of the department for their contributions to the growing national economy.
Mohammed charged the DPR management to do more of media advocacy for Nigerians to know more of the enormous work the agency is doing.
