Sylvester Idowu in Warri
Chairman of Das Energy Services Limited in Delta State, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has sought the intervention of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) in the incessant increases in prices of domestic cooking gas.
He said their intervention has become necessary to put an end to the suffering of the masses. Onuesoke, who made the appeal while addressing journalists at the lamented that the rising cost of cooking gas in the country is taking its toll on Nigerians.
He maintained that many homes are now resorting to alternative fuel sources despite the country being in a position to produce sufficient LPG to meet local demand.
While appealing to the governors to declare state of emergency on the spiraling increase of the commodity and seek solution to the stabilisation of the price, the expert in oil and gas lamented, “The masses are suffering. They battle with high cost of foodstuffs. They also battle with the means to cook them.
This is nothing but double tragedy. It wasn’t so some six years ago. They need to help the masses. The prices of various kilogrammes of LPG have surged more than 50 per cent, with a 12.5kg content selling for N7, 800 or more, rising from N6, 500 in less than a month,” he said.
Onuesoke, a former governorship aspirant on the platform of the People’s Democratic
Party (PDP) in Delta State, said that it was unfortunate that the governors are aware of the incessant increase of the domestic gas but kept quiet while the masses continue to groan in pains.
He therefore, appealed to the governors to assist in ameliorating the impact of increase of domestic gas on the masses noting that the increase in prices of the commodity had forced many Nigerians to resort to the use of fire wood and sawdust which will in turn lead to the deforestation with consequence impact onpyw climate change.
“The state governors have been quiet over this issue for too long. The masses are suffering. Gas is the main source of our existence. The governors can do something by brainstorming with the Federal Government, gas producers and all stakeholders in the gas industry on how to regulate the gas prices to the benefit of the suffering masses,” he stated.
Speaking on the effects of using firewood, sawdust and kerosene, Onuesoke explained that smoke from aforementioned is dangerous to human health, stressing that in 2013 World Health Organisation reported that 98,000 Nigerian women die each year from the use of firewood, with thousands more at risk of serious health problems.
Quoting World Health Organisation, Onuesoke said: “After malaria and HIV/
AIDS, smoke is the biggest killer of mostly women and children. This has cost poor families and institutions money that could be put to better use on education, health and nutrition,” it stated.
“The WHO noted that indoor smoke from solid fuel remained one of the leading causes of avoidable deaths and ill-health worldwide, with women mostly affected because they often cook for their families and spend a lot of time in smoky kitchens.”
