The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Saturday lamented that there is no single drop of kerosene in any of the private depots and that of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Lagos.
The National Chairman, Surface Tank Kerosene Peddlers (SUTAKEP) Branch of NUPENG, Mr. Rotimi Benjamin, disclosed this to the newsmen in Lagos.
Findings reveal that kerosene was last brought to the depots on December 27, 2016.
Benjamin, who is also the Vice-Chairman of NUPENG, Lagos Zonal Council, said that scarcity of Kerosene had made its price to go up, thus making it unaffordable for the masses.
He urged the Federal Government to come to the aid of the masses, who could not afford the price of cooking gas, by making kerosene available at the depots and filling stations.
He said, “It is very sad that things are going on this way, for the past two weeks, there is no supply of kerosene to any of the depots in Lagos.
“The two refineries in the country have not been pumping kerosene to the depots.
“This has forced the marketers that have the product in their stations to increase the price by over 60 per cent.
“This is not the right time for our refineries to stop kerosene production, as everybody cannot depend on gas.
“Common man cannot afford the price of cylinder and cooking gas. Our mothers in the village depend on kerosene, an essential household commodity, to cook.
“Government should address the issue and alleviate the sufferings of the masses by making the product available.”
NAN