Hoteliers lament diesel price, shift to petrol

The Lagos Hoteliers Association (LHA) says the rise in the cost of diesel has forced members of the association to alternate its use with petrol in hotels.

The LHA National President, Jamiu Talabi, said this in an interview with NAN in Lagos on Wednesday.

Talabi, who said the situation has become frustrating, stated that to remain in business, hoteliers in Lagos now use generating sets with petrol engines in the afternoon while the diesel engines were put to use at night.

He said: “It has become worrisome as a litre of diesel now goes for between N700 and N800, with the price varying depending on the filling station.

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“It is very unfortunate the way the price of diesel keeps going higher, but what a number of us have done is to ration.

“Many of us have gone back to petrol engines and there is little to what petrol engine can power in the hotel.

“So, we ration, we use petrol in the afternoon and use diesel at night; that is the way we have been able to cope because of the state of the economy.

“To increase the room rate is not in the picture because people will not come, so, to maintain the few customers, we have to apply wisdom.”

Talabi said Nigerians must intensify efforts in praying to God to help the nation in earnest.

“We keep praying to God that the economy improves and even for God to direct our leaders aright, the second stanza of the national anthem has been our prayer point,” he added.

The Star