About 102 illegal gas filling stations were shut down in Kaduna and Ebonyi, yesterday.
It is part of safety measures following an explosion from an authorised gas plant in densely Sabon Tasha in Kaduna that claimed lives of five prisons.
Chairman, Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, Prof. Simon Mallam, his son with three other persons were killed in the explosion.
While 87 stations were shut down by the Kaduna Environmental Protection Authority (KEPA), 15 stations were sealed in Abakaliki.
General Manager of Kaduna Environmental Protection Agency (KEPA), Jibrin Lawal, said the shut down of the stations was in line with directives from Governor Nasir el-Rufa following the explosion that claimed the lives of five persons.
Lawal stated this, yesterday, while evacuating the debris at the site of the gas explosion on Saturday in Sabon Tasha Chikun Local Government Area.
He said 54 outlets were shut down in Kaduna, 25 in Zaria and eight in Kafanchan.
The shut down in Ebonyi followed the directive of Governor Dave Umahi that the government would clamp down on gas stations or outlets operating illegally to forestall possible outbreak of fire and deaths.
A statement by Mr. Francis Nweze, spokesperson for the governor, said the closure of the stations became imperative given the onset of the dry season.
Nweze said following the governor’s directive, a task force was inaugurated to carry out the order.
Chima, Special Adviser on Petroleum and members of the Abakaliki Capital Territory Developmental Board (ACTDB) said government has mapped out land for gas stations, but lamented that operators refused to move to the site. He said only one station in the city had all the approvals and licences to operate in the state.
He said the affected stations would remain closed until they upgrade their facilities to best standards.
Chairman of ACTDB, Uche Onwe, said the government could not afford to sit and watch the state destroyed by carelessness of illegal operators who continue to build stations close to residential areas.
In a related development, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) is to collaborate with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC) in tackling the proliferation of illegal gas refilling outlets in Kaduna.
Spokesperson for the NSCDC in the state, Orndiir Terzungwe, in a statement said the decision was taken when the Northwest Zonal Operations Controller of DPR, Mr. Isah Tafida, visited the Commandant, Babangida Dutsinma.
He said the visit followed the unfortunate incident at Sabon-Tasha.
“The current situation requires a closer working relationship between the DPR and NSCDC in order to contend excesses of unlicensed operators. At the moment, the Zonal Controller said the office has registered only 38 licensed gas plants in Kaduna, and frowned at the menace of illegal proliferation of gas refilling points,” he said.
Terzungwe said the DPR was embarking on sensitisation of utilisation of LPG to enlighten the public on proper purchase and use of gas.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) has called for proper regulation of the sale of industrial gases.
The union’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Bassey Essien, commiserated with families of those who lost their lives in the January 4, 2020 incident. Essien faulted claims that the explosion occurred at an LPG (cooking gas) retailing facility, noting that the the cylinders involved contained acetylene gas used for industrial purposes by welders and artisans.
“The operations of cooking gas filling plants are highly regulated and monitored by statutory government agencies. LPG marketing companies in the country are duly licensed by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and have put in place measures to self regulate members to ensure the industry operates within prescribed safety standards and procedures.”