The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu, requesting a reduction in the petrol price from N845 per litre to N600 per litre.
The organisation, in a suit numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/1361/2024, filed last Friday by SERAP’s lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, is challenging the president over “the failure to direct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to reverse the apparently unlawful increase in the pump price of petrol.”
The lawsuit also addresses the “failure” to investigate allegations of corruption and mismanagement within the national oil firm.
The statement, made available to PUNCH Online on Sunday, lists the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, and the NNPCL as respondents.
SERAP is asking the court to compel President Tinubu to direct the NNPCL to reverse the unjust, illegal, unconstitutional, and unreasonable increase in the price of petrol from N845 per litre to N600 per litre. The organisation is also urging the court to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and relevant anti-corruption agencies to investigate allegations of corruption and mismanagement within the NNPC.
The organisation also calls for the prosecution of anyone suspected to be responsible for alleged corruption and mismanagement in the NNPCL, provided there is sufficient admissible evidence, and to recover any proceeds of corruption. The increase in petrol prices is causing immense hardship among Nigerians, according to SERAP.
Oil marketers have continued to criticise the NNPCL’s firm grip on the market, requesting direct access to petrol from the Dangote refinery.
The Federal Government, through the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, announced on Friday in Abuja that the NNPCL would be the sole buyer of petrol from the refinery.
This followed a statement by the national oil firm that it was not an exclusive off-taker of products from the Dangote refinery and that the refinery was free to sell its petrol to any marketer.
However, SERAP’s statement noted that “the increase in petrol prices constitutes a fundamental breach of constitutional guarantees and international human rights obligations. Corruption in the oil sector and lack of transparency and accountability in NNPC operations have led to persistent and unlawful hikes in petrol prices.”
Increasing petrol prices at a time when millions of Nigerians face worsening economic conditions is entirely inconsistent with constitutional and international obligations to ensure minimum living conditions compatible with human dignity.
SERAP noted that NNPCL recently increased the price of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, across its retail outlets. The price rose to N855 per litre, from about N600, with some instances exceeding N900 per litre.
The apparent unlawful increase in petrol prices followed a scarcity caused by suppliers’ reported refusal to import petroleum products for NNPCL over a $6 billion debt.
The NNPC allegedly failed to remit USD 2.04 billion and N164 billion of oil revenues into the public treasury, as documented in a recently published 2020 annual report by the Auditor-General of the Federation.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
Meanwhile, NNPC announced on Saturday that it had mobilised 300 trucks to lift petrol from Dangote refinery.
The corporation’s spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, informed one of our correspondents that mobilisation was based on an agreement reached by both parties regarding lifting of petrol from a $20 billion Lekki-based facility.
In a post on his official X handle, showing trucks lining up at refinery, Soneye said: “NNPC Ltd trucks are arriving at Dangote refinery in preparation for scheduled petrol loading on Sunday, September 15, 2024. By end of today (Saturday), at least 300 trucks will be stationed at refinery’s fuel loading gantry.”
Reacting to this, Soneye told Sunday PUNCH: “Yes, trucks have indeed been mobilised there. Nobody has picked up anything yet. NNPC was given September 15 date; it is lining up trucks so that if gates open for loading, then it will proceed.”
However, oil marketers noted that Dangote petrol’s price has not been made public yet; independent marketers would only buy it from NNPCL for now.
