Alexander Davis

In respect of the urgent need to ensure the safety of lives and property of consumers, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has given marketers two months to remove illegal retailers of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) also known as Cooking Gas from the market.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Mr. Abubakar Buba, Abuja Zonal Operations Controller, disclosed this Thursday, February 6, at the DPR 2019 Annual Stakeholders鈥� General Meeting, held in Abuja, FCT.

The theme of the meeting is: 鈥淪afety Awareness As A Panacea To Accident Free Operations In The Oil And Gas Sector鈥�.

Mr. Buba said that the DPR and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) had agreed that the Union must ensure that all illegal retailers were yanked from the system.

According to him, the agreement takes effect February 6, 2020.

鈥淵es, we have this understanding effective today; we agreed that they are going to flush out all the unregistered retailers that are all over Abuja and the country at large.

鈥淲e also agreed that the ones that are going to regularise will come and regularise within these two months, so that they get their licences.

According to him, NUPENG and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have agreed that they are going to flush them out completely,鈥� he said.

He also noted that the DPR also agreed with the Union to sensitise its members to the dangers of illegal retailers of LPG in an uncertified environment.

The Abuja Zonal Operations Controller reassures that the DPR is ready to issue licences to those who are willing to regularise, or register their businesses after due compliance with the policy.

鈥淪ite suitability is very important for LPG retail,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he Department has noticed during routine inspections that some companies make use of untrained attendants or use unaccredited vendors to train their attendants.

鈥淭his is unacceptable, and I will like to take this opportunity to advise that only accredited vendors can be used for such training,鈥� he said.

According to him, the need to enforce safety in the system remains paramount to the DPR.

He said that the Department would soon launch an initiative called Minimum Industry Safety Training for Downstream operators (MISTDO).

This is part of initiatives to improve the safety of lives and property in the downstream operations in the industry, he said.

Mr. Alexendria Stephen, Principal Organising Secretary of NUPENG, said that the group had identified the issue of safety while in discussion with the DPR as a major concern to both the public and the operators.

鈥淪o, we have agreed that there are quacks among those in the business, who because of loss of jobs in the informal sector came to join the business.

鈥淭hose people require training, but where they locate their facility is not licensed by DPR.

鈥淲e know them, and we have agreed with DPR to assist in getting those people off the streets,鈥� Mr. Stephen said.