Tamale, Aug. 18, GNA - An acute shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), has hit Tamale Metropolis and the entire Northern Region.

All the seven plants that supply gas in the Region are currently without gas, causing anxiety and fear among users of the product.

Consumers attributed the shortage to the shutdown of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), which is the main supplier of the product resulting in daily movement of cylinders from one gas station to the other in search of the product.

Mr Francis Acquah, the Zonal Manager for the Northern Sector of the Ghana Oil Company Limited (GOIL), told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Tuesday in Tamale that the shortage occurred last week. He stated: "The problem is from TOR".

He said currently gas is in short supply in the country and efforts were being made to get some by Thursday this week. He said the Bulk Oil Traders, who are private suppliers of the product, do not also have gas.

He said information he gathered indicates that a vessel with LPG would arrive in the country on Thursday and that supply might reach the Northern sector next week.

Mr Acquah said the Tamale GOIL Plant has a capacity of 22 tons, which supply in bulk to some independent consumers as well as sell to the public.

Some consumers in anger and frustration, who spoke to GNA, said they were very disappointed about the situation.

They, therefore, appealed to TOR to expedite action in getting the product.

When the GNA visited the private LPG stations in the Metropolis, it saw notices such as "No Gas" boldly written for the public.