,,,,NNPCL Gives Reason,Says Problem is Temporary.
By Dada Ahmed, Lokoja.
Scarcity of cooking gas has hit Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, with the price of one kilogramme rising from ₦950 to ₦1,250,representing an increase of about 32 per cent.
A visit by The Reporters to several gas refilling outlets in the city on Monday revealed that most stations had run out of stock, leaving residents worried about the rising cost and limited availability of the product.
Only Egoja Gas Company, located within the vicinity of Ganaja round about was seen dispensing the product to customers, with a long queue of people waiting to refill their cylinders.
A supervisor at the station, who spoke on condition of anonymity, attributed the situation to the recent increase in the ex-depot price of cooking gas in the market.
When asked why the management increased the price despite selling from the old stock, he said he was only acting on instructions from his superiors.
He expressed concern that if the trend continues, the price could rise even further in the coming days.
Meanwhile,in a report obtained by our correspondent from Phoenix,the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has said the recent general spike in price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) aka cooking gas is due to a recent industrial action by Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
Ojulari said the industrial action disrupted loading and distribution for several days, which temporarily affected supply and caused prices to rise.
Bayo Ojulari, Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the NNPC made this known while speaking to State House correspondents on Sunday after a courtesy visit to President Bola Tinubu.
General checks indicate that gas prices in Lagos are at about 2000 naira per kilogram in Lagos and at about N 1,600 per kilogramme in Abuja.
Ojulari noted that while the strike created temporary delays in distribution, some retailers with existing stock also took advantage of the situation to raise prices.
‘The increase you saw was relatively artificial,” he explained. “During the strike, movement and loading were delayed by about two to three days. As things return to normal, it takes some time for distribution to stabilize. Unfortunately, some people took advantage of the situation to hike prices.”
He assured that the price hike was temporary and that things would return to normal soon enough.
It will be recalled that PENGASSAN had gone on strike over the dismissal of Nigerian workers at the Dangote Refinery but suspended the action on October 1 after government intervention led to an agreement to redeploy the affected staff.
