DPR seal 13 illegal gas plants in Enugu and Ebonyi state

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Enugu has revealed that it detected and sealed 13 illegal Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) plants in Ebonyi and Enugu states during its recent routine monitoring exercise.

This was made known by the controller, Mr. Okechukwu Okoro, on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu.

According to Mr. Okoro, twelve plants and two retail outlets were sealed in Ebonyi state while one plant and fifteen retail outlets were sealed in Enugu.

He said that the exercise was fueled by the need to urgently contain the rampant cases of a gas explosion, mostly caused by unlicensed gas retail outlets.

He continued that the department inspected 30 gas plants in Abakaliki and Afipko urban in Ebonyi, where it sealed 12 gas plants and two retail outlets.

According to him, the owners of the gas plants and retail outlets have been directed to regularise their operational licenses within 14 days to meet the minimum safety standards.

He said that the operators of the retail outlets were also instructed to relocate out of the densely populated areas to safer locations.

Okoro appealed to LPG users not to patronize unlicensed gas plants and retail outlets to avoid a gas explosion in their domain.

“Owners of licensed facilities are permitted by law to display photocopies of their current licenses in their premises.

“We have been authorized to use security agencies to enforce compliance at the expiration of the 14 days grace,” Okoro said.

Also, the Head, Gas Monitoring and Regulation Unit, Mr. Linus Ikegbunam, said the unit uncovered one unlicensed plant and 15 retail outlets during its inspection in Enugu, Oji River, Inyi and Nsukka.

Ikegbunam said that the retail outlets had 14 days to relocate to safer locations or face severe sanctions.