By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
(C) Google.
The shortage of cooking gas in Lokoja, Kogi State, which began about two weeks ago, worsened on Monday, as the price of a kilogram rose from ₦950 to ₦1,250. Similarly, the pump price of petrol increased from ₦890 to between ₦940 and ₦950 per litre.
Prior to the scarcity of gas, the price of the product rose from N950 to N1,250 per kg.
Our correspondent, who visited several gas filling stations in Lokoja around 10 a.m., reports that none of the outlets had cooking gas for sale to the public, despite long queues of anxious buyers.
Some residents of Lokoja, while speaking with our correspondent, linked the ongoing scarcity of cooking gas to the face-off between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Petroleum Refinery (DPR).
Findings by The Reporters revealed that the price of cooking gas has risen by over 30 percent in some parts of the country,with the shortage attributed to disruptions in supply, following the dispute between the two oil industry giants.
However, other residents believe the recent hike in petrol prices is largely driven by market forces, as the Dangote Refinery explained that the reduction in crude inflow was a result of market strategy influenced by rising global oil prices.
The increaes have not impacted much hike on transport fares in Lokoja and its environs, as at the time of this report.
