The Native Consortium and Research Center has issued a fiery response to the recent spike in fuel prices across Sierra Leone, accusing state actors and oil marketing cartels of colluding to fix pump prices despite earlier reductions by independent marketers.

This development comes after LEONECO, Aminata Ltd, and Zala Ltd had voluntarily slashed their pump prices to Le 23 and Le 25 for diesel and petrol, respectively, weeks before the outbreak of the Israel-Iran conflict on June 13, 2025.

In a press release, the Consortium expressed concern over what it described as a calculated move to intimidate and force compliant fuel stations to increase their prices to Le 27 per litre. It alleged that this coordinated effort, backed by “voting” from certain state functionaries, was not based on international market trends but rather on cartel-like behaviour.

“The sudden price change has nothing to do with the world market or the exchange rate,” the Consortium stated. “Sierra Leoneans had started enjoying cheaper fuel because of competition—until corporate gangsters kissed some of our government officials wrongly.”

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Testimonies from pump attendants, particularly from Zala stations, aired on national broadcasters such as SLBC, reportedly confirmed they were subjected to harassment in efforts to align their prices with those dictated by larger operators. The Consortium claims that despite oil prices having begun to decline globally since April 2025, these gains were reversed locally due to alleged interference and artificial price setting.

Reacting to concerns over the global impact of the Israel-Iran war on oil through the volatile Hormuz Corridor, the Consortium acknowledged the war initially caused price shocks. However, they pointed out that tensions have since eased, and global prices are stabilizing.

In a sharp rebuke to both the Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PRA) and Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), the Consortium argued that despite fuel prices rising on the global market, Sierra Leoneans were enjoying lower costs due to fair competition until cartel behaviour disrupted the market.

“When prices drop, PRA and the OMCs pretend not to see. So why should we have eyes to see now that the price is increasing?” the statement questioned, calling the current pricing dynamic a “tit-for-tat” scenario.

The Consortium further reminded authorities that existing fuel stocks were procured under previous prices and therefore should not justify the recent hikes. It concluded by urging citizens to remain alert and not accept unjustified increases in silence.

“This is area man business do me, are do you. When prices drop, we all pretend to be deaf and dumb. When they go up, we’ll stay deaf and dumb too,” the release ends defiantly.

The Consortium also took the opportunity to congratulate President Julius Maada Bio on his recent appointment as Chair of ECOWAS, even as it urged him to ensure transparency and fairness prevail in the country’s petroleum sector.