SERAP Sues Tinubu’s Govt Over Hike In Fuel Price

In a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project is seeking an N600 per litre decrease in fuel prices from N845 per litre.

In a lawsuit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja last Friday by Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SERAP’s attorney, the organization is accusing the president of failing to order the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to stop what appears to be an illegal increase in the price of petrol at the pump.

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,” and urges him to “direct” the AGF and relevant anti-corruption agencies to investigate the allegations of corruption and mismanagement within the NNPC.

The organisation also calls for the prosecution of “anyone suspected to be responsible for the alleged corruption and mismanagement in the NNPCL, provided there is sufficient admissible evidence, and to recover any proceeds of corruption,” noting that the increase in petrol prices is causing “immense hardship” among Nigerians.

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 the national oil firm’s statement that it was not the 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 the country’s international human rights obligations.

“Corruption in the oil sector and the lack of transparency and accountability in the use of public funds to support 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 the 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 the 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 the recently published 2020 annual report by the Auditor-General of the Federation,” among other issues.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

Meanwhile, the NNPC announced on Saturday that it had mobilised 300 trucks to lift petrol from the Dangote refinery.

The spokesperson for the corporation, Olufemi Soneye, informed one of our correspondents that the mobilisation of trucks to the refinery was based on an agreement reached by both parties regarding the lifting of petrol from the $20 billion Lekki-based facility.

In a post on his official X handle, showing trucks lining up at the refinery, Soneye said, “NNPC Ltd trucks are arriving at the Dangote refinery in preparation for the scheduled petrol loading on Sunday, September 15, 2024. By the end of today (Saturday), at least 300 trucks will be stationed at the 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 a September 15 date; it is lining up trucks so that if the gates open for loading, then it will proceed.”

However, oil marketers noted that the price of Dangote petrol had not been made public yet, stating that independent marketers would only buy the commodity from the NNPCL for now.

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