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Liquefied Petroleum Gas Retailers (LPGAR), a branch of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), yesterday condemned the current arbitrary increment in the price of liquefied petroleum gas and supply shortages in the country.
Comrade Olukayode Aborisade Solomon, its branch secretary of LPGAR, expressed his union’s dissatisfaction with sudden upsurge in price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by tank farm (LPG depots) operators and what appears to be a deliberate reduction in supply or rotation of supply amongst the tank farms.
These, the group said, had led to about 90 per cent increment in gas price within a space of one week. It is likely that this ugly situation will continue if there is no urgent intervention especially as Christmas and New Year approach.
“Though the increment began about a month ago but did not significantly reflect in the price sold to end-users because retail outlets had absorbed the difference believing it would soon normalise. However, without any sign of imminent supply or pricing crisis, the price in the last one week suddenly skyrocketed, reaching about 90 per cent high.
Just a week ago in Lagos and some neighbouring states, 12.5kg of LPG was sold between N2,600 and N3,000 in retail outlets. It is now sold between N4,000 and N4500 at retail outlets owing to sudden hike in the price by tank farm operators.
“If this situation remains unchecked it is capable of undermining the expected development of LPG sector in the country which has been championed by the government and other stakeholders over the years.
“Nigerians especially the low income earners who are beginning to adapt to LPG for both domestic and commercial uses are being subjected to exploitations at the time they are already being confronted with economic hardships.
“The situation is already forcing many users to abandon their cylinders and opt for other sources of cooking energy such as firewood and saw dusk irrespective of the attendant health risks and resultant environmental degradation that results from those alternative energy sources.”
