Okowa Challenges FG On Rising Cost Of Cooking Gas

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has joined other Nigerians demanding that the federal government finds solution to the rising cost of cooking gas.

The cost of the commodity has become unbearable for many households with no solution in sight on the part of the Buhari administration, which insisted that the price of gas has been deregulated, as such the government has no control over it.

The situation has pushed many families to seeking alternative means of cooking such as using firewood and charcoal.

For instance, the 12.5kg cylinder of gas that was sold for about N3,500 earlier in the year has risen to N9,500 and N11,000, depending on the location and availability in the parts of the country.

This must not be allowed to continue, Governor Okowa said on Monday at a two-day LPG sensitisation and awareness campaign orgaised by the presidency in Asaba, Delta state.

The Delta helmsman said concerted efforts must be made towards reducing the rising cost of Liquefied Petroleum Gas in the country, if the objective of the National LPG Expansion plan was to be achieved.

The governor said the adverse effects of climate change due to the use of fossil fuels has thrown on mankind the urgent need to move to a cleaner energy.

According to him, the situation has made “the adoption of LPG as a transition fuel to greener sources exigent and Delta State is keen to play a vital role in this process and will give this awareness programme maximum support.

“Delta is home to 40 per cent of the nation’s natural gas endowments, hence a large number of oil and gas companies operate in the state. However, as we adopt LPG as the fuel to drive the socioeconomic activities of the economy, we must acknowledge a big challenge currently confronting the populace: the issue of high price of LPG in the market.”

The cost of cooking gas is now beyond the reach of many families, urging the federal government to do something on those factors that make gas unaffordable.

Okowa said “at the rate the price is skyrocketing, LPG is gradually getting out of the reach of the middle class and the common man.

“The price increase has been linked to several factors including the VAT re-introduction, devaluation of the naira and large importation of LPG vis-a-vis low production locally.

“It is imperative that policy makers find a way to mitigate this upward trend in the price of LPG to give succour to our people and if the goals of the LPG expansion plan are to be realised.”