As the price of cooking gas known as Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) continues to rise in Anambra State in the Southeast region of Nigeria, many residents of the state have said that they have resorted to using firewood and electric stove popularly known as hot plate as an alternative.
SaharaReporters’ finding showed that 1kg of cooking gas sells between N900 and N1,100 in Awka, the state capital and many other parts of the state.
A resident, who simply identified herself as Mrs. Happiness, told SaharaReporters that she used both firewood and electric hot plate as an alternative as she found it difficult to buy gas because of the high price.
“The last time I bought gas, which was in the last two weeks, it was N950. I cook always because I have children. So, I don’t have money to buy gas at such a high price.
“I have an electric hot plate but I also buy firewood. Any time there is no light, I use firewood to cook. It saves the gas for me.”
Also, another resident, Mrs Rita said she did not have an electric hot plate but “I have been cooking with firewood because buying gas at N1000 per 1kg is not funny for me.”
For Ikechukwu Umeh and one Mr Chijioke, they only use electric hot plates as an alternative for gas, as they said that they couldn’t find it easy to subject their families into using firewood to cook “because it is not really safe and the smoke is not is not good for climate,” said Mr Umeh.
Another resident and mother of four children, Mrs Jennifer who sells vegetables and other food stuffs in Second Market in the Ifite area of Awka, said that she had been cooking with firewood since the price of gas went high.
“I don’t make enough money from my business and my children are going to school. It is not easy to handle and now, price of gas has become as high as N950 for 1kg. I have been cooking with firewood, while sometimes I cook with gas. I can’t kill myself.”
For Mama Chinaza, “I don’t have any alternative. I had an electric hot plate that I used to use to cook but I stopped using it since we started using a prepaid meter in my compound.
“As I speak with you, I buy 12kg of gas every two weeks because I have a large family. I don’t cook with firewood. Things are tough because we don’t have any option but to manage and hope that the government will take positive action to reduce the price of cooking gas.”