The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ilorin branch, has warned the Federal Government not to increase the pump price of petroleum products, in order not to stir public outcry.

Chairman of the NBA, Rafiu Balogun, who made known the position of the association, at its annual dinner and award, held in Ilorin, at the weekend, said attempt to increase the fuel price would be "aggressively resisted"

Balogun, who commended the efforts of the government at sanitising the oil sector, asked the government to be transparent in the exercise, to ensure that there was no sacred crowd.

"The corruption in the oil sector is another vexing issue of national importance, which must be tackled head-on by the Federal Government. The subsidy scam and colossal sum of money lost to fuel subsidy is worrisome and saddening.

"We commend the Federal Government for the efforts so far, to sanitise the sector; the prosecution of the erring individuals and companies involved, is commendable. We, however, warned that there must not be sacred cow and the government must be as transparent as possible.

"That take us to the Ribadu Report, the Federal Government should not jetisson the report as it could still be useful in the series of investigations into the fruad and the perpetrators. The recent revelation by the Finance Minister Dr. Okonjo Iweala, that a staggering sum of 232 billion naira was illegally collected by 50 oil marketers, and that the Federal Government has only succeeded in recovering 29 billion naira through debt swap, is disheartening.

"It is in the light of the following that we call on the federal government not to make any attempt to increase pump price of petroleum product this move is going to stir the anger of Nigerians and will be aggresively resisted even for the singular reason that the subsidy isuue has turned out to be tainted with corruption and fraud."

Kwara State governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed who was represented at the occasion by the state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Kamaldeen Ajibade, assured that his administration would always provide an enabling environment for the judiciary to promote administration of justice in the state.

The state Chief Judge, Olatunji Bamigbola described legal justice as the mainstay of the country’s democracy and commended the NBA for its contribution towards sustenance of the justice.

He also praised the NBA for always inculcating in its members discipline and ethics of the legal profession.