Nigerians lament rising cost of kerosene

…berate FG over insensitivity

FOLLOWING the dwindling economy in the country, the price of kerosene has increased to N220 per litre in Lagos, as against the official regulated price of N50.

A taxi driver, identified as Seun Busari, berated the organised Labour and civil society groups, noting that, “Labour and civil society groups that Nigerians depended on to fight for their rights have sold out.

Demola Akinola, a computer analyst, however, blamed Nigerians for the development, saying “when people sin, God will raise a wicked king to afflict them. That is what is going on in Nigeria today, so the affliction has just begun. Nigerians must pay for their foolishness in voting for change.

Country Director, ActionAid, Ms. Ojobo Atuluku, said the Federal Government’s decision to remove subsidy on kerosene signifies a continuation of a worrying trend of regressive policies that are emanating in recent times.

Mr. Tokunbo Korodo, South-West Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) said that there had been no loading of products at Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) depots since May 31.

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He said that the situation had resulted in the increase in prices of kerosene and diesel, as oil marketers sourced for the products in private depots in Apapa, Lagos. “For more than 28 days now, there are no loading activities in PPMC depots nationwide. Oil marketers have resorted to private depots in Apapa to load their trucks; this gives the private depot owners the opportunity to sell the products at their own price.”

According to him, if there are products at PPMC depots, the price would not have gone up like this. “Most of the private depots sell a litre of diesel for N180 per litre while kerosene is sold for N200 per litre. Now diesel and kerosene are sold between N200 and N220 respectively in filling stations,” he said.

Korodo appealed to NNPC management to pump petroleum products to their depots for marketers to load in order to bring down the prices.

Another reason why the prices are up, according to the Head, Corporate Communications Unit of NIPCO Plc, Alhaji Taofiki Lawal, is because many oil importers no longer import kerosene thereby making the few litres available very expensive.

“This is why the price is on the high side because the demand is now more than the supply,” he said.

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On Jan. 24, the Federal Government hiked the price of Household Kerosene (HHK) to N83 per litre from N50 per litre, thereby, officially ending subsidy on the product.