….As they still sell at N125 per liter

In spite of the reduction in the pump price of premium motor spirit from N125 to N108 per litre, independent petroleum marketers in Ikare and its environs, still sell at N125 per litre.

In Ikare Akoko, the headquarters of Akoko North East Local Government, the commodity is being sold for N125 per litre at most of the major and independent petroleum marketers’ filling stations including Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation’s mega station.

All efforts to speak with the management of most of the stations proved abortive as they declined comments on the issue.

It would be recalled that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Wednesday announced a reduction in the ex-depot price of petrol to N108 per litre.

This was the second time the NNPC has dropped the price of petrol after its first reduction on March 19, 2020, to N125.

However, investigation shows that filling stations across Ondo State still maintained their old pump price of N125 per litre.

A commercial motorcyclist, popularly known as ‘Okada’ who didn’t want his name in print told Kakaki Newspot that he was aware of the reduction, but wondered why the filling stations are yet to comply.

“The adherence to the reduction in pump price will reduce the recent increase in prices of goods and services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the world.”

He urged petroleum marketers and distributors to comply with the reduction in price as directed by the Federal Government.

Meanwhile, another motorist, Olanegben Bode lamented that five days after the directive, all the filling stations, including the NNPC Mega station in Ikare, had refused to adjust their pumps to reflect the new price.

He said the marketers should have flowed with the government’s benevolence to also effect change in their pump price saying reverse would have been the case for marketers if the government had increased the pump price.

Bode stressed that he had expected that the filling stations would have by Friday adjusted their pumps to the new price.

“This has always been the problem with these filling stations, they are quick at adjusting price upward but not downward just to maximise their profits,” he stated.