ABUJA – The Federal Government should have reduced the pump price of some petroleum products immediately after the price of crude oil fell at the international market, Mr Ahmed Idris, a Petrochemical Engineer, said.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
Idris made the statement on Friday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
He said government should be able to monitor and determine pump prices, to liberate citizens
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from[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″] selfish oil marketers who would not reduce their prices.
He criticised such marketers for quickly increasing the pump price when crude price went up but refused to reduce it when the prices went down.
According to him, Nigerians were law abiding and very considerate human beings, adding that if it were in other countries people would compel the authorities to reduce the prices.
“At Qatar, Kuwait and Iran where I worked for about 10 years, things like this do not happen as governments are conscious of what the citizens could do and in fact the governments have the welfare of the people at their hearts.
“In Qatar if the price of crude oil falls at the international market by one digit, the first thing you see in the morning at the filling stations is the litres are brought down to match the fall.
“But in Nigeria the report is entirely different as the marketers determine the prices, exploiting people as they wish and nobody calls them to order,’’ he said.
Idris, who is the Chairman of the Clean Energy Resources Company, Abuja, urged stakeholders to work towards standardisation of oil prices for the users to enjoy and the marketers to benefit.
He advised government to look inward as the global oil market could not be determined while many of the major producers were ready to cut prices.
He advised that other revenue sources should be explored to bumper the foreign reserve and increase the revenue generation.
“No one can say when the fall of the crude will stop or at what price will it stop. Government should as a matter of urgency look for an alternative to oil revenue.
“We have many other resources in Nigeria but were abandoned by governments. Now as the government has seen the red light should move fast to save the situation,’’ he added.
He urged the populace to continue to exercise restraint and cautiously follow dialogue to get things done.(NAN)