Some dealers in cooking gas have decried low patronage of their product due to recent hike in price of the commodity.
Some of the dealers disclosed this in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
Mr Sunday Emeka, one of the dealers, who owns a gas plant in Karu, said that his station was currently experiencing low turnout of customers compared to the influx he used to have.
Emeka explained that the 12 kilogramme gas cylinder which was formerly refilled for N3, 500 now goes for N6,000.
He added that many people cannot afford gas at that amount with the present economic situation, adding that some of the customers are now buying in small quantities.
“The business is going down, we no longer get customers like we used to because the price is high and people are sourcing for other means to cook.
“Many customers these days come with 12kg cylinder and ask us to fill just N2, 000 and sometimes N1,500.
“Some will bring the 5kg camp gas and refill for N1, 000; cylinders we were filling for N2,000 before now goes for N3,000.
“The situation is very sad and discouraging, let the government try and resolve whatever the issue is because citizens are suffering, many people cannot even afford a meal these days.”
Mr Nnamdi Okoye , a cooking gas vendor, told NAN that the increase in the price of the product had made many people resort to firewood and charcoal for cooking.
He added that people cannot even afford kerosene because it was equally expensive and scarce.
According to him, the 12kg cylinder which he formerly sells for N4,000 is now N7,500 sometimes N8,000 as the case may be.
“A lot of people can’t buy at that price,’’ he said.
Okoye told NAN that the situation had caused their profit to drop as there was low patronage.
He explained that products bought now take longer period to be sold off, stressing that the business was dying.
However, Mrs Yemi Joshua, a business woman who resides in Wuye, said that since the price of gas increased in January she had been using firewood to cook.
She further explained that she cannot afford the N7,000 for full gas refill, so she fills half of her cylinder just for emergency cooking.
Joshua urged the government and policy makers to address the issue in the interest of the public, saying that things would get better in the country soon. (NAN)
KTE/ GOM/AFA