By Sebastine Obasi & Ediri Ejoh

Four weeks after the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC launched its kero correct project, aimed at making kerosene available to all corners of the country, the exercise appears to have been marred by non-availability of the product. This is as Nigerians, who had expressed relief with the seeming reduction in price are frustrated by their inability to access the product.

The scenario tends to point to the July 2011 scheme termed “kero direct” meant to supply kerosene to Nigerian homes directly at government regulated price of N50 per litre, which only succeeded in making multi-billionaires out of those close to the corridors of power.  Under the new scheme, household kerosene, believed to be commonly used by the populace was meant to be sold at the regulated price of N50 per litre.

However, Vanguard investigation showed that the scheme may have been a mere political gimmick as the product is not seen anywhere. Indeed, it appears to be more of a political gimmick than actual intension to improve the lot of the masses, as the scheme resurfaces at every election period.

Consumers’ experience

Gloria Ogedengbe, a resident of Festac told Vanguard she has never purchased kerosene at N50 per litre. “I am surprised to hear this development because for weeks now, I have not bought kerosene from NNPC at Festac because whenever I get there it is always the same story, ‘No kerosene’.

“There is no transparency in this scheme because government cannot say something and operators act otherwise. We cannot continue to live with this deception,” she said.

Also, Mrs. Susan Odede, a resident of Ishaga, Ajegunle, who is a retailer of the product, said she only bought kerosene once since the supposed reduction in price. “I have only bought it for that price once and since then it has been from one story to the other. The common challenge about this sale is that we have more patronage of kerosene than gas.

“In a day, I can sell over three jerry cans of 50 litres. Customers always asked me if the price has not gone down. Sometimes I feel embarrassed because they do refer to the government authorised N50 price. “Why can’t the government increase the distribution of kerosene in various stations in this area, we have two NNPC filling stations close by and yet you hardly find kerosene in any of them.

“This scheme cannot work because this is not the first time, we have had this declaration. Whenever there is such promise as this, since it is not generally mandatory to all filling stations, it ends up dying out after few weeks. I would want to believe that after the election, there would be no such canvassing of maintaining the prices at N50,” she said.

When Vanguard visited the NNPC station at Olusosun, Oregun area of Lagos, a long queue was seen as people struggled to get the product. Mrs. Jiy Samson, one of those on queue expressed excitement on hearing the news of the price reduction and wanted to utilise the opportunity as much as possible.

“I was very surprised at the gesture of government and so decided to grab the opportunity immediately. I have never seen such a crowd for the purchase of kerosene in this filling station at Oregun Road. When I heard of the drop in price, I was very happy only to be disappointed when I got here and found out that the supply was being managed because of the little supply from NNPC,” she said.

At the FirstBank Bus stop NNPC station also on Oregun Road, Miss Habibat Rashidat, a resident of the area had this to say, “I went just twice and got fed up because we had to queue up in the sun because I wanted to buy at a cheap price. If it has been regular, there would be no cause for alarm because I can go there anytime. The reason for the crowd is because we know that this act of kindness is only a political show of empathy to the masses and not a sincere one per say.

It is better I continue buying the way I had always done at my convenience than being a dog to the politicians’ play.” One of the attendants however said that their inability not to sell Kerosene was as a result of filling the tanks meant for kerosene with diesel, a development that the industry regulator, Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR frowns at.