Kerosene scarcity: Auchi residents adopt firewood, others

Due to scarcity of kerosene in Auchi and its environs in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, residents of the area have now resorted to alternative means of cooking.The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) learnt that most residents of the area now use saw-dust, coal-pot and firewood for cooking.NAN reports that kerosene scarcity has continued to linger in the area in the last three months.Investigation revealed that only one filling station in the area presently has stock of the product while black market operators are making brisk business.Investigation further revealed that while the scarce commodity was being sold for between N100 and N120 per litre at the filling station, it cost between N150 and N200 in the black market.A cross section of residents, who spoke to NAN, decried the development, saying government was insensitive on the issue.'If government was truly committed to the plight of commoners, this problem of kerosene scarcity should have been resolved by now,'' Adama Amedu, a resident, said.A house wife, Mrs Kehinde Edigan, said she resorted to using coal pot because she could no longer cope with the high cost of the product.She said that though the price of a bag of coal had increased from N600 to N1,000 because of the high demand, it was still tolerable when compared to that of kerosene.Also speaking, Mrs Memunat Sule, said that she now uses saw dust which she gets for free from the saw mill to avoid spending more on kerosene.'I cannot afford kerosene, not after spending much to buy what to cook and it is not even available.`` I only pay little as a tip to the boys at the saw-mill to get saw-dust and this is very cheap, convenient and fast for me to cook,'' she said.Another house wife, Edith Onwubolu, said the high cost had not only affected cooking but other things which kerosene was used for.She noted that it had become difficult in most homes now to put on lantern when there was power outage.However, a manager in one of the filling stations in the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, dissociated filling stations from the scarcity.The manager said filling stations usually get supply of the product two to three months after placing orders. 'We do not even get it nearby, we get our supply form Lagos now,'' the manager said.
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