Market survey has revealed that gas retailers had jerked up prices of Liquefied Natural Gas or cooking gas of 12.5kg from N10,000 reported towards the end of last month, to around N12,500 in Lagos.
The President, Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, Olatunbosun Oladapo, had warned that the price of 12.5kg cooking gas could hit as high as N18,000 by December if the Federal Government did not checkmate the activities of the terminal owners.
However, despite the warning, Olatunbosun stated on Monday, that the government was yet to wade into the crisis.
“Yes, the price is now N1,000 per kilogram but the government is yet to step in despite a meeting we had with the NMDPRA,” he said.
According to him, gas retailers still buy 20 metric tons of gas for N14m at the depot.
“We still buy a 20 MT truck at N14m at the depots. And the price of diesel has increased that it now costs N1.7m to take gas from Lagos to the North due to the high cost of diesel. If we sell here at N1,000 per 1kg, just imagine how much it would cost in the Middle East and North.
“What we pray for is for prices to come down so that the ordinary masses can benefit from the decade of gas policy of the Federal Government that seeks to make gas accessible and affordable for the common man.”
Recall that in September, it was reported how terminal owners jerked up the price of cooking gas from between N9m-N10m per 20 metric tons to N14m.
“There is a ridiculous hike in gas prices going on right now, and I am afraid that if the Federal Government does not step in to checkmate the activities of these terminal owners, price could reach as high as N18m for a 20 metric tons truck by December. This means that a 12.5kg could go as high as N18,000,” he had told Punch
According to him; terminal owners were “hiding under the guise of high foreign exchange to increase price, and further increase the suffering of the masses,” he said.
Although gas terminal owners do not have a visible association, spokespersons for NavGas, Friday Agwu, and Nipco Plc, Askay Kumar, did not respond to enquiries.
The Punch.