The oil marketers have failed to adjust the pump prices of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) at their filling stations as of Monday to reflect the ₦5 reduction announced by the Federal Government last week.
After meeting with officials of labour unions in Abuja last week, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, announced that all parties resolved that the price of petrol be reduced by ₦5 per litre with effect from December 14.
But some filling stations in Lagos, Abuja, as well as parts of Niger and Nasarawa states on Monday were still selling the petrol at between ₦163 and ₦168 per litre.
The two filling stations right in front of the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Abuja – Conoil and Total – sold petrol to motorists at ₦166.5 and ₦168 per litre respectively.
Also, filling stations, such as Nipco, AA Rano and DanOil, within Abuja, Zuba and Madalla in Niger State, and Mararaba in Nasarawa State, dispensed their products at prices above ₦162 per litre on Monday.
However, at the few NNPC retail outlets in Abuja that dispensed the commodity at the new rate, motorists formed long queues in front of the stations in a bid to buy at the reduced price.
Nigerians have seen increases in the pump prices of petrol four times in the past five months, rising from ₦121.50–₦123.50 per litre in June to ₦140.80-₦143.80 in July, ₦148-₦150 in August, ₦158-₦162 in September and ₦163-₦170 in November.