Residents of Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital have appealed to the state government and other regulatory agencies to address the indiscriminate siting of gas stations around densely populated areas within the capital city.
Some of the residents who spoke to LEADERSHIP accused the regulatory agencies of issuing operating licences to the owners without inspection and described their action as a looming danger and a time bomb waiting to explode.
A resident, Apostle Friday Nwafor said that he decided to raise the alarm to draw the attention of the state government and to ensure that the agencies avert the potential danger residents of Kpirikpiri axis of Ogbaga road and other areas might face should there be any explosion as a result of the proximity of the plant to the residential areas.
“Our concern is the potential danger posed by the siting of the gas plants within the densely populated area of Kpirikpiri. The call is not aimed at witch-hunting anyone or to run anyone’s business down but to ensure safety measures and avert any impending disaster that will occur should anything go wrong within the axis the gas stations was built.
“The rate at which highly inflammable products explode now has become a source of concern to all. The recent explosions served as a stark reminder of the potential dangers the people face in the country, and we are very much concerned about our safety.
“If the State Government and the regulators are not concerned, we the residents ought to be concerned. We must express our displeasure with the current siting of gas facilities in such close proximity to our homes and business environments.”
Another resident and business owner, Mr. Clifford Menkiti, said, ” We are not asking that the stations be sealed; all we are requesting is that they ensure that the necessary security measures are put in place to avert any imminent danger.
“I believe that before approving the siting of a gas or petrol station, there are regulations; the question we are asking is, were the regulations adhered to? Were security measures put in place, and the safety of the residents was it also considered? The security of the lives and properties of residents must be considered first before any financial benefits.
Reacting, the State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr. Francis Nnamdi, said that the command will move into the streets by the 1st day of February to check the locations of the different gas plants and the requisite security measures put in place to ensure the safety of the residents.
He made the disclosure when members of the Correspondent’s Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ Ebonyi State Chapter, paid him a courtesy visit at the command headquarters in Abakaliki.
