Users of charcoal as cooking energy in Makurdi have decried the high cost of the product, saying it is gradually eluding the reach of the common man.

They made their feelings known in an interview with journalists on Thursday in Makurdi.

Veronica Agule said that a bag of 50kg of charcoal, which used to cost between N3,500 and N4,000, was now being sold for N6,000.

Ms Agule further lamented that currently, there was no charcoal for N50 at retail price, stressing that the least cost of the product was N100.

Another user of charcoal, Ngunan Mnguter, lamented the astronomical increase in the price of charcoal, stating that it was giving her sleepless nights.

“I do not have money, so I buy in small quantities for N50 and N100. But now you cannot get it for N50. This is worrisome,” Ms Mnguter said.

On her part, Ngozi Obi said that she enjoyed cooking with charcoal because it was smokeless, environment friendly, and often made cooking very easy.

“But now that its price is beyond my reach, I will revert to firewood which I detest so much.

“Firewood is the only alternative that I can think of or afford for now,” Ms Obi said.

Meanwhile, Iyuhengi Orjime, a trader in charcoal, attributed the high cost of the commodity to the current economic reality, where prices of goods and services were on the increase almost on a daily basis.

Ms Orjime emphasised that the sharp increase was not peculiar to charcoal alone, noting that it was a worrisome situation that needed the quick intervention of the federal government.

She further appealed to the government to constitute price control teams because if the situation persisted, it would lead to hunger, starvation, disease, and even worse, death.

(NAN)