Residents of Asaba, the Delta State capital, have decried the continued scarcity of kerosene and its attendant high cost in the city.

Our correspondent reports that households in the city and its environs have been experiencing scarcity of the commodity for more than three years.

The situation had led to exorbitant cost of the product, which was currently being sold at between N120 and N150 per litre at few filling stations selling the commodity.

Our investigation revealed that the development had boosted black market operations because filling stations hoard the item from the public and sell to black market operators.

At the black market spots, a litre of the product sells for between N160 and N180.

In the circumstance, most families have resorted to supplementing kerosene with firewood, which they get from scavenging construction sites and farms as well as patronising wood dealers from neighbouring villages.

A bundle of wood sells for between N100 and N300 depending on its size, as against its previous rates of N50, N80 and N120.

Residents who spoke to newsmen on the issue, accused petroleum marketers of sabotaging government’s efforts by selling kerosene and other products above regulated prices.

They were also of the opinion that the marketers create artificial scarcity in order to exploit the people and advised the government to set up different teams to constantly monitor the supply and sale of the product.

A house wife, Mrs Grace Anyasi told newsmen that the “frustrating situation” had forced her to resort fully to the use of firewood.

“Before now we can walk into a filling station and buy the product but now even with the price at N120 or N130 depending on the filling station, the product is not readily available.

“I am a mother of five and a civil servant and for me to cope I have resorted to the use of firewood. At least, it’s available and we can source them from ongoing building sites,’’ she said.

A restaurant operator, Mrs Eunice Abanom, said that she would have been operating at a huge loss if she had depended on kerosene for cooking.

“I get my regular supply of wood from Okpanam and other villages. I have customers who do not fail in making the supplies; all I do is just to contact them and the firewood will be here.

“I only use kerosene at home for lantern and I buy that at black market price of N150 per litre from the Ogbeogonogo market,’’ she said.