THE Edo State government has announced an indefinite postponement of all school resumption due to the hike in petrol price
The permanent secretary of the state ministry of education, Ojo Akin-Longe, revealed this in a memo on Saturday, September 7.
Akin-Longe said the resumption, scheduled for September 9, was now postponed until further notice.
He added that the government has directed that schools remain closed due to the tension arising from the recent increase in fuel prices and the challenges faced by parents and guardians.
“The government urges parents, guardians, and caregivers to monitor the activities of their children and wards closely, given the current situation and the rising tension caused by the fuel price hike.” a memo stated.
On September 3, the National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited increased the pump price of petrol to N855 across its retail outlets in the country.
The ICIR reported on Saturday that following the recent hike in prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly called petrol, the NNPCL has clarified that the offtake of the Dangote Refinery Limited does not guarantee a lowering of the petrol prices.
This was contained in a statement signed by the chief corporate communications officer for NNPC, Olufemi Soneye, on September 7, 2024, following claims made by the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) regarding the NNPCL and Dangote refinery.
Recall that about four days ago, Dangote officially commenced the operationalisation of its refinery with plans to supply 25 million litres of petrol to the Nigerian market.
However, this development subsequently,, raised the prices of fuel within the country from N650 to as high as N855 to N950.
The increased prices became a public outcry as Nigerians and union bodies began to question the pricing policies of NNPC.
MURIC accused the NNPCL of attempting to stifle competition by manipulating the pricing of fuel, thereby preventing the Dangote Refinery from offering lower petrol prices to Nigerians.
Reacting to these allegations, Soneye said that global market forces, not NNPC’s pricing decisions, determine the cost of petroleum products.
He added that the Dangote Refinery, like other refineries, operates in an open market and is free to set prices that reflect current market conditions.
A reporter with the ICIR
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