Need to regulate price of kerosene

IN Nigeria, kerosene is known to be a product associated with the poor. Most of the disadvantaged people in the country use it for cooking while their wealthy counterparts use gas due to the fact that it facilitates and makes cooking faster than kerosene.

However, the high cost of kerosene and its unstable price are now serious issues of national interest. Certainly, something should be done fast to stabilise its price and make it affordable for the sake of the poor in the country, for the sake of the government’s promised change and for the sake of the common good.

Information gathered from different states of the nation concerning the  high cost of kerosene have shows that, within two weeks, one litre of kerosene was sold at the rate of N215 to N400 in various places. The price of kerosene rises quickly but drops slowly, contributing to the hardship and frustration of the averaged Nigerian.

Aside its high cost and vacillating price, it is also unavailable in many places in the country and this has made the majority of Nigerians to resort to the use of firewood and charcoal to cook food.

It is very unfortunate that the price of kerosene has never been stable. It was not stable even in the previous administrations of Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, but the worst case ever is what Nigerians are experiencing now.

The price of kerosene has gone far beyond what was obtainable in the previous administrations. Investigation has shown that the problem began shortly after the removal of the fuel subsidy in the country and it is now escalating to an unimaginable level. If action is not be taken now to deal with this hike in the price of kerosene, a litre will be sold for N1,000 one day.

Therefore, this issue that is affecting the majority of Nigerians needs to be treated promptly by the authorities. The government should know that Nigerians are going through hard times and anything that can be done to help ease or lessen their burden has to be done in earnest and urgently, and without the politics of selfish interest.

One doesn’t have to argue about the fact that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration means well for this nation. But at the moment, the nation is not in a good shape and the high cost of kerosene has contributed to the sad situation.

Indeed, almost everything in the country has witnessed a drastic increase in prices and this is not good for the country. Unfortunately, the underprivileged and poor people in the country are always the victims of the negative effects of government’s failed policies, while wealthy Nigerians remain untouched. In some cases, they are even favoured by the policies and decisions.

Taking action to remedy the problems of high cost of kerosene, its fluctuating price and scarcity is not negotiable. The Nigerian government should quickly begin to take steps towards resolving the kerosene problem so that it would be affordable, available and stable in price. This should be done with all seriousness. The time to make kerosene affordable is now; the time to make it available is now, the time to ease the suffering of Nigerians is now. The time to stop politics of self interest and do what can benefit the poor is now; the time to wipe the tears of the poor is now, and the time to start experiencing positive change is now. God bless Nigeria and Nigerians.

Awunah Pius Terwase,

Mpape, Abuja.