…As Reps urges clampdown on plant illegalities in cities
Wednesday was hot for operators of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) plants that fall short of minimum operating standards and non-compliance to international allowable standards set by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in parts of Lagos metropolis sealing four outlets located in densely populated areas of the state.
Key fault of all the sealed gas plants was the operators’ inability to keep the international standard of the minimum 15 meters space between location and residential areas required for such operation which is a critical safety requirement.
Already, the House of Representatives same day at plenary mandated the Federal Agency to move a step further from sealing to total ban on operators of illegal cooking gas outlets in the country.
This followed a unanimous adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Kolawole Musibau during the plenary presided over by the Speaker of the House, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila.
During the compliance raid in Lagos, DPR, working with operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), DPR also arrested three employees of the sealed LPG — also known as cooking gas — plants.
Affected plants included skid plant operators included Geogas Gas Filling Plant, Oduduwa Road, Oworonsoki and Classic Gas, MKO Abiola Market, Agege, Lagos.
Also shut down by the petroleum regulatory agency were Al-Morruf Gas Plant and Vertex Gas, both located in the Agege axis of the state.
In his remarks during the compliance enforcement, Mr Abel Igheghe, Head, Gas, DPR, Lagos Zonal Office, said over 54 gas plants had been sealed off in 2019 for not complying with international standards.
According to him, “The LPG plants were sealed for being illegal and operating within densely populated residential areas, schools and market places.
“These gas plants were sealed by DPR for not meeting international safety standard in their operations.
“Some of them, like the one inside MKO Abiola Market, pose a great threat to the lives and property of people nearby.
“You cannot be refilling the gas in this kind of location because fire can be ignited from any source due to its proximity to a busy road and other businesses.”
