Terminal operators are accused by the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers of continuously raising the price of gas, taking advantage of Nigerians, and restricting their access to it.
The marketers informed the Senate on Monday, under the direction of Oladapo Olatunbosun, the association’s president, that while Nigeria Natural Liquefied Gas has consistently supplied its supply, cabals have interfered with Nigerians’ ability to obtain gas.
Some marketers were accused by Olatunbosun of being cabals that were purchasing the goods at a low cost directly from the manufacturer and reselling it to them at an exorbitant price.
“The cabals are making it difficult for the average Nigerian to have access to gas,” Olatunbosun clarified. These terminal owners currently sell gas for N16.8 million for 20 metric tons.
“Some of them are 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 people go to fill their gas today, the least they get is N1,200 per kilogramme – imagine the pains of Nigerians. In the Nigeria of today, can a student or menial worker afford to cook a cup of beans with a N1,200 cost of gas?” he asked.
The marketer explained to the Senate that Nigerians have no reason to buy gas at such a price.
Olatunbosun noted, “Even countries like Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and the rest are no match to Nigerians in terms of gas production but the prices of gas in Nigeria is cheaper in those countries that here where we are the second largest producer of the gas production in Africa after Algeria, yet our people cannot afford to cook with gas.
“We produce gas more than we import. In fact, the proportion imported is so insignificant, but these cabals have refused to allow Nigerians to enjoy the dividends of this production and the efforts put in by the government.”
The marketers alleged that the terminal operators usually state forex as one of the reasons for the increase in the prices of gas whereas the transactions were done purely in naira.
The President of the association explained, “These cabals have also made the practice of hiding behind forex but the question is does NNLG get paid in dollars? No. All the transactions are completed in naira. What is the role of forex in this situation? Where is the import evidence?
“You buy gas for N9 million from NNLG and pay in naira, then you sell the same gas for N16 million and blackmail the government.
“When people get to our plants and we tell them the price, they start weeping and cursing the government whereas, the government has done their best to make life bearable to the people.”
The marketers further warned that if measures were not taken to adequately address these issues, by December, 12,5kg gas would sell for N25,000.
Olatunbosun added, “If we don’t rise up and checkmate the whole thing, the gas would become a luxurious product available to only the rich.
“By December, these cabals might start to sell 20 metric tonnes for N200 million. This would mean that gas will sell for 2,000 per kg and N25,000 for 12.5kg.”
The marketers further lamented that the utilization level in Nigeria was quite low due to poverty and other factors.
He said, “We are operating 1.2 million metric tonnes per annum but if we look at our population, we ought to be operating around 6 to 7m metric tonnes per annum but due to availability and affordability; we can’t operate at that level yet.
“And when gas prices went up, the level of consumption dropped, at the moment, the level of usage is between 750,000 to 900,000 metric tonnes per annum.