Households in Taraba sigh as kerosene and cooking gas prices continue to skyrocket

The high cost of kerosene in Taraba State has started to have an effect on the citizens’ ability to make a living, particularly in homes with lower incomes.

At the time of this study, the typical cost of one liter of the product at the majority of gas stations in the state was somewhere in the range of N980.00 to N1000.

Residents have speculated that the recent spike in the cost of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), more often known as cooking gas, is to blame for the exorbitant price of kerosene.

Residents have stated that they have begun using kerosene as a result of the rise in the price of gasoline; nevertheless, they are now forced to contend with an increase in the price of kerosene as well, prompting them to call on the government to investigate the problem.

“As soon as I learned that the cost of cooking gas had increased from N800 to N1,050k, I made the snap decision to switch back to kerosene. Jemima Bala, a local resident, was quoted as saying “I must confess that it is very scary and discouraging,” in reference to the recent increase in the price of kerosene.

Jemima asked how she could manage to get through this current predicament with her four children given the circumstances that they find themselves in. My income is not particularly high, to say the least.

“I recently found out that in addition to the price hikes for kerosene and cooking gas, charcoal and wood have become prohibitively expensive as a result of a law in this state that prohibits the cutting down of trees.”

In addition, a woman who identified herself as Hajiya Sadiya and stated she was a mother of six added, “With this development, the only option left for me is to make use of charcoal to cook.”

“Even though I am acutely aware of the fact that charcoal and wood, which were once considered commonplace, have become an economic good, I believe that they would still be more cost-effective than kerosene and cooking gas.”

While bemoaning the rising costs of kerosene and cooking gas, a student at the public university stated that students are being negatively affected more than anyone else by these price increases.

“As students, the vast majority of us are completely dependent on our parents. In addition, the vast majority of us are not originally from this region of the country. Therefore, we do not have any close relatives in the area to whom we may turn for assistance. She wept bitterly

The girl, who identified herself only as Katherine, was quoted as saying that the setting of the school “is not where one can decide to fall back to the use of charcoal.”

She made an appeal to the relevant authorities, pleading with them to put pressure on the sellers and dealers of the products to reduce their prices so that students could afford them.

She questioned, “How is it possible to live through something like this?” It is assumed that in order for a student to be able to concentrate on their schoolwork, all they need to do is eat well. However, in light of this new information, the question arises, “How can one accomplish this?”

Another local, Anderson Illiya, issued a warning that if immediate action is not taken to handle the situation, the dream of keeping people from falling out of trees will turn out to be a mirage. He said this will happen if steps are not put in place to manage the matter.

“Now that even charcoal and wood are no longer affordable due to the Executive Order prohibiting the falling of trees in our dear state, I think the only way we can come out of this quagmire is for the state government to wade in either by subsidizing the prices of this products or by providing alternative solutions.” — “I think the only way we can come out of this quagmire is for the state government to wade in either by subsidizing the prices of this products or by providing alternative solutions.”