Reps panel to meet Sylva over cooking gas price hike

The house of representatives has directed its committee on gas resources to meet with Timipre Sylva, minister of state for petroleum resources, to proffer lasting solution to the increase in the price of cooking gas.

The lower legislative chamber also asked the federal government to be proactive and develop effective mechanisms to cushion the effect of the rise in the price of cooking gas.

The green chamber passed the resolution during plenary session on Thursday, following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Afolabi Rasheed, a lawmaker from Osun state.

In November, Sylva had explained the reason for the price hike, and said “we are doing everything to see how we can bring down the price of gas, especially as the yuletide approaches”.

While moving his motion on the floor of the house, Rasheed lamented that a necessity such as cooking gas is “becoming unaffordable”.

He said irrespective of the reason for the price increase, the government ought to cushion the impact on vulnerable citizens.

“Nigerians have been facing various challenges including insecurity, extreme poverty, high cost of food and essential consumables and, most recently, a persistent rise in the price of cooking gas,” he said.

“Cooking gas is a basic need for many Nigerians, especially those living in the urban and semi-urban areas who use it daily for the preparation of meals.”

The lawmaker said it is worrisome that Nigeria, “which is ranked ninth among the countries in the world with the highest reservoir of gas resources with about 207 trillion standard cubits feet as of 2019, would subject its citizens to such hardship arising from the high cost of cooking gas”.

“A kilogramme of gas which was initially sold for N300 is now sold within the range of N700 to N850, which has further plunged Nigerians into untold hardship as such basic necessity is increasingly becoming unaffordable,” he said.

“[The] prolonged increase in the prices of essential items, especially during the yuletide season, could have grave social consequences as it could worsen the economic hardship, thus forcing people into resorting to crime and other vices in order to survive.”

The motion was unanimously adopted after it was put to a voice vote by Idris Wase, deputy speaker, who presided over plenary.