Energy

Youths threaten hunger strike as cooking gas heads for N6, 000 over ship delay

Published

10 years ago

January 17, 2017

By ANDREW OJIEZEL

Following the rising cost of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) otherwise known as cooking gas, some people, mostly youths in Lagos State have threatened to embark on hunger strike.

The youth said embarking on hunger strike would be one of the ways they could attract the attention of government to intervene in the matter, which they believe is taking a toll on the welfare of many families.

The youths numbering about 20 at the Agege area of Lagos said they were going round local government areas in the state to sensitise and mobilise support from other youths for their planned hunger strike.

The cooking gas scarcity is reportedly caused by the failure of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to discharge an LPG vessel which has been at its North Oil Jetty (NOJ) in Apapa since 29 December 2016; resulting in temporary product shortage in the market.

As it is now, the price of the cooking gas is between N4,500 and N5,000 and it may likely hit N6,000 by the end of January 2017 if the difficulties experienced in discharging the product at the NNPC jetty lingers.