The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has set up a monitoring team on petrol pricing, distribution and sales, its President, Mr Chinonso Obasi, has said.

Obasi, in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja, said that Nigerians had been greeted with hardship imposed by profiteers.

He regretted that Nigerians during the Yuletide experienced challenges by paying over 300 per cent hike in transport costs moving for both Christmas and New Year celebrations.

According to him, the hardship has not abated as Nigerians still buy petrol at N250 per litre in some places.

He called on Nigerians to resist the rip-off and also reject any hike in petrol price.

“It is an undeniable fact that petrol is being sold at prices inimical to the economic well-being of consumers; across the nation, the prices rather than decreasing is increasing. This is totally unacceptable.

“No doubt, in spite of the availability of the petrol, many unmerited yet unexplainable reasons have been given as excuses for this unabated exploitation.

“As the official pump price remains at N145, we urge Nigerians not to pay more; the NNPC and the Independent Marketers should urgently resolve this hardship and assure Nigerians that their days of worries over petroleum prices are a priority.

“To this end, we hereby announce the setting up of NANS Task Force Committee on Compliance on Petroleum Distribution, Pricing and Sales.”

He said that Nigerians could no longer continue to bear the brunt of the activities of saboteurs.

The NANS president said that any filling station selling above the official pump price would incur the wrath of Nigerians as the committee would help in ensuring compliance.

He said that the committee would begin work immediately and was saddled with the responsibility of working with government agencies willing to ensure compliance.

“NANS wishes to solidarise with Nigerians by condemning this man made hardship imposed on Nigerians and unreservedly call on the Department of Petroleum Products and Public Procurement Regulatory Authority to swiftly halt the exploitation of Nigerians,” he said. (NAN)

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