The Ogun state government says it is clamping down on illegal fuel stations and gas depots operating without proper approval from relevant agencies of government.
This according to them, is to forestall avoidable loss of lives and property.
The State Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, Mrs Ronke Sokefun and her environment counterpart, Bolaji Oyeleye, read the riot act at a press briefing which took place in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Sokefun said that a task force has been constituted by government to seal up illegal gas stations across the state.
“It is pertinent to state that henceforth,operating such illegal businesses will no longer be tolerated in the state,consequently, a task force has been constituted by the state government to seal illegal gas stations in order to curb avoidable loss of lives and properties’.
”In addition, owners of gas filling stations with required approvals from the state government will be urged to upgrade their safety measure equipment to meet up with international standards.
While asking operators to upgrade their safety measure equipment to meet up with international best practices, the government also stated that it would not allow anybody to set up gas refill depots within residential areas.
“Henceforth organizations or individuals will not be allowed to set up gas refill depots within residential areas,” Sokefun said.
The government also asked residents to be more conscious to reduce avoidable deaths occasioned by human errors
”I will also advise residents to be more responsible and responsive to the way they handle inflammables.
“They should stop storing fuel at home and they must as a matter of fact cultivate the habit of having fire extinguishers at home in order to reduce the risk of avoidable deaths” the Director of the State Emergency Service said.
In order to appeal to the consciousness of residents, the government says workshops will soon be organised for fuel stations and gas filling depots in order to equip them with the much needed information on best practices.
Following the fuel station inferno at Adigbe area of the state capital which claimed two lives and property worth millions of Naira, the state government seems to be taking the bull by the horn to avoid a recurrence.
