NMDPRA seals two filling stations, one gas facility in Ogun

By Adeniyi Adedoyin 

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, on Wednesday sealed two filling stations and a gas station in Sagamu.

While the filling stations were sealed for under dispensing and shortchanging members of the public, the gas plant was sealed for being sited in a densely populated residential area and thereby contravening safety rules.

Speaking during the surveillance and enforcement exercise, the Ogun State Coordinator of NMDPRA, Akinyemi Atilola told journalists that the residents of Awosanya, Sabo, Sagamu alerted the agency about the establishment of the gas station within the residential area.

He said, "we received a petition sometimes in January from members of the Awosanya community, Sagamu and I swung into action by detailing some of my team members to be here and the facility was sealed.

"And we are here again today to sound the note of warning that NMDPRA will not fold its hand while some  people think that they can engage in gas plant construction without recourse and respect to the safety rules for the people around.

"Though, the present administration is encouraging optimum gas utilisation, but safety of the people around is of utmost importance and so the people must priortise the issue of safety and conduct their businesses with utmost sense of duty to ensure safety of all.

"For instance, if there is a soundblast of gas here, the impact can travel 2km and you can imagine what damage that could cause, but we don't want that and that is why we are taking this proactive measures  to ensure work is stopped on this facility, while the oil and gas materials there are evacuated".

Atilola added that the surveillance team is also out to  to check if the filling stations are dispensing the right quantity of litres and ensure that the members of the public are getting the right value for their money.

He said that the agency had received complaints from members of the public of being shortchanged and not getting the right quantity of fuel from the filling stations.

Atilola said, "we are out to ensure that people get value for their  money because you can't be  buying fuel at 959 and 980 and still be having shortages that will not be good for our economy".

"Any filling station found culpable will be sealed and fined in accordance with the rules and regulations and the ultimate aim is to ensure compliance. We hereby urge filling stations owners to operate in line with laid down rules".

"The advice I have for our people is that they should report such filing stations to us and we will swing into action".