24th January, 2011
Kerosene, the major cooking gas the masses depend on to meet their need has become very scarce in Lagos and its environs.
Reports from our reporters across the state indicate that the product has been very scarce at most filling stations in the past two weeks.
The product which is supposed to be selling for N50 per litre officially is being sold at N104 at CONOIL filling station at College Road, Ifako-Ijaye, Lagos, while it was reported to be selling at N115 at Ijoko, Ogun State. The retailers are selling it at N150 per litre.
Efforts to get NNPC officials, position on the issue to the scarcity proved abortive at the time of writing this report.
Former Minister of State for Finance, Mr. Remi Babalola gave indication that the Federal Government would soon remove the subsidy on the product.
His argument was that the official price of N50 is no longer realistic since the low income earners that are supposed to enjoy the subsidy hardly get the commodity to buy at that price.
The current official price of N50 was fixed by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo when, he publicly declared that petrol was more expensive than kerosene.