The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria(PENGASSAN),has urged the federal government to provide some form of verifiable palliatives for the lower-class citizens on account of the skyrocketing cost of cooking gas in the country.
The workers also emphasized the need for President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately abolish the VAT on gas importation, prevent further slide of the Naira, channel some of the exported gas to domestic use.
The union expressed disgust that the price of refilling 12.5kg cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (cooking gas) has risen by almost 100% percent over the past one year.
It noted that currently, the cost of cooking gas has continued in steady climb from average of 4,500 Naira at the beginning of 2021 to the current price of between 8,750 and 10,000 Naira for the popular 12.5kg cylinder.
It added:”We are worried that most middle to upper class homes, especially in the urban areas, are feeling the pinch. The poorer families are going through harrowing experiences trying to cope, more so as the price of kerosene had long taken flight in addition to being scarce in many places.
“Despite Nigeria sitting on one of the largest gas reserves in the world, we still depend largely on imported gas. Up to 70 per cent of the gas we consume in the country is imported. Some of the reasons attributable to this skyrocket increment is the devaluation of the Naira against major currencies and the introduction of value added tax of 7.5% on imported gas, increase in the international price of gas, etc”
The association in a statement said it was not totally opposed to the planned deregulation of the oil sector by the federal government.
It said:”PENGASSAN as an Association and a major stakeholder in the industry do not have issues with all the advantages, they claim that deregulations will usher into the economy because we understand the workings within the industry and therefore stand in a pole position on issues that boarder it”
Maintaining its support for the full deregulation of the sector, the association reiterated that it will only support a deregulation exercise based on domestic refining and not import dependent.
The association emphasized the need to increase the pace of the current refinery rehabilitation and support continuous strengthening of the Naira.
“Conclusively, we wish to admonish Government at all levels to quickly come together and find urgent solutions in short and long term to the myriad of issues plaguing the Nation to reduce the difficulties faced by the citizens”, it said.
The association expressed concern over the rising level of poverty in Nigeria,saying the nation is fast degenerating into a land plagued with hunger as if famine has descended on the country.
” These purchasing power of the already pauperized disposable income of the citizens have greatly degenerated as the cost of food in the market have gone up astronomically in the last three years.
” Whereas the astronomically increase in cost of food, wages are at best stagnant and in some cases reduced unilaterally and drastically. This could be attributable to several factors that are not limited to gross devaluation of the Naira against major currencies, displacement of farmers by bandits and terrorist, inconsistent policies of Government, etc.
“To further exacerbate the looming dangers caused by food insecurity, farmers in states such as Benue, Plateau, Katsina, Nasarawa and Taraba cannot readily access their farmlands due to myriads of security challenges occasioned by incompetence and lack of patriotism. It is necessary to secure the farmers and their farmlands as aggregate food production by the local farmers is the bedrock on which the systems of our food security rest”
912200cookie-checkCooking Gas:Oil Workers Urge FG To Consider Palliatives For Poor Nigerians
