Some residents of Abakaliki, Ebonyi state capital, have expressed worry over the continuous rise in the price of cooking gas, otherwise known as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). The situation is that many homes have shifted to some other alternative such as sawdust, firewood and charcoal as prices of cooking gas continue to rise. The price of a kilogramme (kg) of cooking gas is currently selling for beytween N1, 250 and N1, 300 in Abakaliki, Ebonyi capital.
In separate interviews in Abakaliki on Thursday, business owners said their businesses had boomed since cooking gas prices increased, especially between January and February.
A charcoal seller in the Kpirikpiri market, Mrs Vivian Chukwu, said a sack of charcoal price had risen from N6,000 sold in December 2023 to N7, 500 now.
“We are witnessing continued patronage by the day. We have measurements ranging from N300, N400, N500 to N1,000 and we also sell in quantity.
“Yes, our prices have changed; it was relatively cheap in December, but now the cost is no more the same due to the high patronage caused by the high cost of cooking gas. “Well, I do not think I can venture into another business. This is a very profitable business and people don’t know about it,’ she said.
On cost of LPG, Chukwu decried the ugly trend and noted that it was biting on every home. “I urge the government to intervene. The suffering is becoming too much on everyone and salary is still the same. “It is very unfair increasing cooking gas when we are still battling to cope with the hardship caused by the removal of the fuel subsidy,” she stated.
Mrs Chinwe Okoro, a caterer said that she had resorted to the use of charcoal for her cooking. Okoro said it had been difficult keeping up with the steady increase in the price of the cooking gas. “Charcoal is cheaper and it has helped me in my business. I am no more spending my money on gas,” she stressed. Okoro further urged the federal government to come up with plans and a policy to ensure that price of gas was affordable to the common man.
An Abakaliki-based Ahmed Aliyu, said his family had moved to charcoal, which he could easily acquire with small amount of money. “I keep saying it, this is not the time to increase the cooking gas, and the citizens are yet to recover from the hardship occasioned by the removal of the fuel subsidy. “It is sad that the cost of cooking gas keeps increasing almost on a daily basis and everyone is quiet and cost of living is becoming worrisome every day,” Aliyu stated.
On hike in cooking gas, a Pump Attendant at a gas station, who spoke on ground of anonymity, said he could not ascertain the actual cause for the increase. He explained that the increase was also affecting the business as the station continued to record low patronage.
“Many of our customers now resort to using firewood and charcoal for cooking. This is serious. “We have been witnessing changes in price every day. Someday, it will even be twice depending on the market cost,” he added.
