How do people even get things done with the way things are in this country? I noticed something pretty disheartening today when I stepped out, and I realized that for the longest time, I hadn’t even noticed when it first happened. And for the life of me, I can’t even begin to imagine when we got to this point as a country. And it really makes me sad.
No matter how I look at it, it keeps looking more and more difficult to go back to the way things used to be. And I’m inclined to believe that maybe we might never go back to the good old days, however, if we’re serious about what we want as a people, we should be able to make our present day better than it currently is.
I went to buy fuel today to power my generator, and this was a petrol station that I had been going to for a very long time, like way back when I was in secondary school. Yeah, that far back in time. So, I’ve always known about it. And when I’m in Lagos, it’s my go-to for fuel. Just me continuously patronizing the familiar. No biggie.
Then, I suddenly noticed something, an entire pump was missing, not a petrol pump though, a kerosene pump! As with other filling stations, most kerosene pumps were kept separate from the other pumps, towards the far end of the station, while the fuel pumps were huddled together under a large canopy, and then the diesel pump was at the forefront of the station with ample space for trucks and tankers. Every other pump was still there, but not the kerosene pump.
I asked the attendant what happened to the pump ad she looked at me like I was crazy, because according to her, there had never been a pump there. But that was clearly wrong. Because I remember buying kerosene from that very filling station as a boy, this was before we switched to gas cookers. There was a time when kerosene was the cheapest form of fuel, and we used to buy it in liters so it could last.
But somehow, it got so damn expensive. Now, kerosene is more expensive than petrol, gas, and even diesel. And the funny thing is that not many people use it, so why is it so expensive? Anyway, my deductions from this case are that due to the high cost, many people switched to gas, and patronage fell drastically, so the filling station simply stopped selling it. I can’t even remember the last time I saw any of them promote the sale of kerosene, because no one is buying it anymore.
And just like that, kerosene is becoming a relic, something to live in our memories. Just like how kerosene lamps and stoves are now basically antiques. If you buy them now, it’s simply for aesthetics, and not because you need them for anything. Honestly, I don’t know if this is because of the economy or the rising cost of crude oil, all I know is that kerosene used to be the cheapest fuel, and now it’s the most expensive. And no one is buying it.
Well, it’s just pretty sad.
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