The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), says it has sealed 19 illegal Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and category D cooking gas outlets in Delta.
The Coordinator, NMDPRA in the state, Mr Victor Ohwodiasa disclosed this to newsmen on Tuesday in Warri.
Ohwodiasa said that the illegal outlets were sealed within the last two weeks in Orerokpe, Ogwashi-Ukwu, as well as Warri and its environs during an operation by the Authority.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the category D class of LPG operators, are those within localities that refill gas from licenced gas plants for customers.
The NMDPRA coordinator said that the illegal gas outlets were shut over offences ranging from lack of prerequisite approvals to operate such facilities, to unsafe locations.
“During the operations, about 28 illegal outlets were spotted by the Authority. We tried to see if it is possible to have them regularised as they were wrongly sited.
“The outlet that was sealed in Ogwashi-Ukwu was a five metric tonnes refilling plant constructed on a roadside closed to a high tension cables.
“The Authority looked at the environment; it was wrongly sited on a right of way and has no approval. It was sealed and relocation order issued immediately.
“Other offenders were the ones doing what we called, ‘decanting’, which meaning bottle to bottle transfer. We do not allow that.
“What they are expected to do is ‘bottle swap’, that is bring your empty cylinder and go with a filled one,” he said.
Ohwodiasa explained that the essence of the exercise was not to frustrate the small scale gas business owners, but to ensure they operate in a safe and secured environment.
He appealed to landlords to stop allocating land or property to the LPG category D operators who want to do illegal business in their premises or properties.
According to him, the essence is to prevent possible fire outbreak that could destroy lives and properties of the operators and the neighbours.
He added that the NMDPRA was committed to ensuring that lives and properties were adequately protected.
“Imaging someone storing cooking gas closed to where welding operation is taking place or where a woman is frying beans cake or roasting corn. Once there is leakage, the resultant effect will be catastrophic.
“If the operator of the illegal outlet does not appreciate his life, it is our duty to ensure that he does not kill himself and others by illegally operating such facility,” he said.
Ohwodiasa also said that the regulatory Authority would continue to sustain the exercise in the state and assured that anybody found wanting would face the wrath of the law.
He further said that any defaulter, who refuses to relocate his facility, would be handed over to the relevant security agencies for prosecution.
The coordinator appealed to the public to report anyone transferring cooking gas from one cylinder to another to the NMDPRA for prompt action.
He assured that the regulatory body would continue to sensitise the operators, adding that the authority had annual stakeholders’ engagement with the gas plant owners and the category D operators.
He thanked the Chief Executive of NMDPRA, Mr Ahmed Faruok for his consistent support for the state’s operations.(NAN)
