PPMC, ALGASCO fingered in diversion as cooking gas price hits N3,500

EFFORTS by the Federal Government to
deepen the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas
(LPG) popularly called cooking gas may have
suffered some setback following allegation of
diversion of LPG vessels to a private terminal.
Executive Secretary of Nigerian Association of
LPG Marketers (NALPGAM), Mr. Bassey
Essien, yesterday told Daily Sun that the
development has led to a disruption in the
LPG supply chain leading to skyrocketing
prices.

He said the disruption in supply has led to a
12.5kg cylinder of gas selling for N3, 500 as
against the initial price of N2, 500, warning
that, if not addressed, the price could hit N4,
000 next week.
‘‘The development has led to the gradual rise
of 20 metric tonne of gas from N2.4 million
to N3.5 million in a spate of one week. And
that is why we are using the opportunity to
alert the concerned authorities to the effect of
this unpatriotic trend because if we keep
quiet, the price may hit N4 million for 20
metric tonne by Friday,’’ he warned.
Essien alleged that officials of the Marine
Transportation Department of the Pipelines
Products Marketing Company (PPMC) in
connivance with a private gas terminal-
NAFGAS owned by ALGASCO, a subsidiary of
the Vitol Group, were frustrating the efforts of
gas marketers to have access to cheap
products.
He explained that, rather than vessels berthing
and discharging at the PPMC terminal, its
officials deliberately create bottlenecks that
would make it extremely impossible for
vessels to discharge forcing them to use the
facilities of the private terminal, which in turn
would use the opportunity to hike pric