FG Begins Clampdown on Illegal Sellers of Cooking Gas as Prices Change
- The Nigerian Upstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has started clamping down on illegal retailers in Akwa Ibom state
- The agency’s Coordinator, Ikechukwu Eseka, said the way the retailers are refilling gas cylinders is illegal
- The development comes as the price of the commodity skyrocketed amid the Christmas and New Year celebrations
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Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment and the economy for over a decade.
The Nigerian Upstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has begun clamping down on illegal liquified natural gas (LPG) sellers in Akwa Ibom state.
NMDPRA Coordinator Ikechukwu Eseka disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) commandant, Bakshar Hussaini, in Eket on Thursday, December 12, 2024.
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NDMPRA frowns at retailers' refilling style
The agency decried how the product is being dispensed by illegal dealers in the state, including some fuelling stations.
According to Eseka, gas is a volatile commodity, and some retailers sell it from cylinder to cylinder, an illegal activity punishable by the law.
He asked gas plants to stop loading gas for those unlicensed by the NMDPRA.
The coordinator said the NMDPRA would enforce the law by stopping the retailers’ illegal activities.
Vanguard reports that Eseka asked retailers to renew their licences or register before operating in the state.
He said the Authority will seal any fuelling station and those using diesel for industrial purposes and are not registered with the agency.
Gas dealers ask consumers to monitor refills
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that cooking gas dealers have asked consumers to monitor their gas refills.
The Liquified Petroleum Gas Association of Nigeria (LPGAR) debunked the allegations of underfilling gas cylinders for consumers.
The association said this amid reports that the retailers were ripping off consumers by underfilling their cylinders.
Cooking gas prices change
Findings reveal that the price of a 12.5 kg cylinder rose by 58.68% from N10,545.87 in October 2023 to N16,734.55 in the same month in 2024.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) disclosed in its report that the hike has increased the burdens on Nigerian households.
The NBS report disclosed that a 5kg cooking gas refill sold for about N6.915.69 in October, a 3.23% change from N6.699 in September 2024.
Price of cooking gas rises again
Legit.ng earlier reported that the price of LPG had risen again across markets nationwide.
A survey showed that consumers now buy the product at N1,500 per kilogramme relative to N1,340 in October
Consumers explained that they paid more than they budgeted to purchase the commodity.
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Source: Legit.ng
