Dem talk say government sell price for cooking gas suppose no pass N500 per kg for customers
Di Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers don accuse terminal operators wey dey always increase gas price, dem dey take advantage and dey reduce how dem dey make am available for Naija people.
Di marketers, wey dem president Oladapo Olatunbosun lead, yan di Senate say Nigeria Natural Liquefied Gas dey supply gas wella, but di cabals don disrupt how dem dey make am available for Nigerians.
Olatunbosun call some of di marketers as di cabals wey dey buy di gas cheap from di source and dey sell am at high price to dem.
Olatunbosun yan say, “Di cabals dey make am hard for average Nigerians to get gas. As e dey now, these terminal owners dey sell gas for N16.8 million for 20 metric tonnes whereas NNLG dey sell am to dem for less dan N9 million.
“Some of dem na NAVGas, NIPCOPLC, Matrix Energy Ltd, Prudent Energy Ltd, Shafa Energy, Techno Gas, StockGap Ltd, Mobil, Pan Ocean Limited, NNPC, OLogbo, NSPC Apapa, SHELL, Dozzy LPG terminal.”
“When pipo wan buy gas today, di least wey dem fit get na N1,200 per kilogramme – imagine di wahala wey Nigerians dey face. For Naija wey we dey now, student or person wey dey do small work fit afford cook beans wey go cost N1,200 for gas?” he yan.
Di marketer explain to di Senate say Nigerians no suppose dey buy gas at dat kain price.
Olatunbosun yan say, “Even countries like Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and di rest no reach Nigerians for gas production but di prices of gas for Naija dey cheaper for those countries pass dis place wey we be di second largest producer of gas production for Africa after Algeria, but our pipo no fit afford cook with gas.
“We dey produce gas pass wetin we dey import. Infact, di one wey we import na small, but dem cabals no gree make Nigerians enjoy di benefits of dis production and di effort wey government dey put.”
Di marketers talk say di terminal operators dey always talk say na forex dey make gas price increase, but di transactions dey happen for naira.
Di president of di association yan say, “These cabals like dey hide behind forex but di question be say, NNLG dey get dollar for payment? No. All di transactions dey happen for naira. Wetin forex dey do for dis matter? Where di evidence of import?
“Dem buy gas for N9 million from NNLG and pay for naira, con sell di same gas for N16 million and still dey complain to government.
“When pipo reach our plants and we tell dem di price, dem dey cry and curse government, whereas government don try wella to make life better for pipo.”
Di marketers still warn say if dem no take action to solve dis matter well, by December, 12.5kg gas fit sell for N25,000.
Olatunbosun add, “If we no stand up to control dis matter, gas fit become luxury wey only rich pipo fit afford.
“By December, dis cabals fit start sell 20 metric tonnes for N200 million. E mean say gas go sell for N2,000 per kg and N25,000 for 12.5kg.”
Di marketers still yan say utilization level for Nigeria dey very low because of poverty and other factors.
He yan, “We dey operate 1.2 million metric tonnes per year but if we check our population, we suppose dey operate around 6 to 7 million metric tonnes per year, but because of availability and affordability, we no fit operate at dat level yet.
“And when gas price go up, di level of consumption go drop. At di moment, di level of usage na between 750,000 to 900,000 metric tonnes per year.
“And our forests go dey suffer am, pipo go dey enter forest dey cut wood and charcoal for cooking.”
Olatunbosun yan say, “Dis na di kind wahala wey dem cabals don put poor Nigerians for, wey dey make us dey worry, especially because e go make di government look like say dem no dey do anything for pipo.
“Di problem be say no get regulation, NNLG sabi all dis but dem no wan put hand for di matter.
“It be like say di voiceless no get person to defend dem, dat na why we come Senate make we cry out for help for poor Nigerians.”
He still clarify say dem suppose still dey make profit from investment wey no go spoil di interest of pipo, and e go help make pipo dey use gas wella.
He yan, “Dem be investors, and we no dey against dem make dem make profit because dem don put dia resources, but wetin dem no dey allow for any part of di world na make dem dey make too much profit.
“These cabals no want make di industry grow, because if e grow, more investors go enter di business and dem go see say dem dey space.
“So, dem want make utilization level drop, so dat investors no go come in and dem go fit dey control and dey get monopoly for di industry.”
Di chairman of di Senate on gas, Jarigbe Jarigbe, assure di marketers say Senate no go gree make dis matter pass.
E yan say dis matter na very important National matter wey dem suppose pay serious attention to.
Senator Jarigbe yan say, “I don hear wetin una talk on behalf of di committee and Senate.
“Una sabi say dis administration don dey talk about improve gas supply, LPG and e get new revolution wey concern Compressed National Gas for vehicles to help pipo manage di effect of Subsidy removal.
“As e relate to una complain say NLNG dey sell to terminal owners for about 10 million for 20 metric tonnes and dem dey sell am to una wey be marketers with about N7 million profit; e go get bad effect for value chain from di start to di final consumer, dis na something wey Senate no go gree with. And I sabi say di executive go support am too because e no be wetin Mr. President want.
“I thank una for una courage because una fit compromise for dis stage, but una decide to talk for common man.
“I go do pass wetin una don do. When Senate President yan say Nigerians suppose dey breathe, e no mean say e dey concern only poor people, e concern all Nigerians.
“We suppose allow ourselves to breathe, because nobody no dey wey no dey use gas today except those wey dey remote villages.
With di matter of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, we go do our best as Senate to support una and support Nigerians, na di thing wey he talk
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