NMDRA Cracks Down on Illegal Cooking Gas Operators in Ogun, Sensitises Residents on Safety
Raymond Osho
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDRA) on Wednesday carried out an enforcement and sensitisation exercise across major parts of Abeokuta, Ogun State, aimed at curbing illegal cooking gas operations and preventing potential explosion incidents.
The operation saw officials of the authority move through several markets and densely populated areas, enlightening residents on the dangers of patronizing unauthorized gas dealers.
During the exercise, a number of illegal gas outlets operating without approval were sealed off.
Speaking during the operation, the Ogun State Coordinator of NMDRA, Atola Akinyemi, said the agency embarked on the exercise to enforce compliance with safety and regulatory standards in gas operations across the state.
Akinyemi explained “We are here on the street to enforce the compliance of regulation on gas operation. We visited this place; it is one of the illegal gas facilities and plants.
“The authority doesn’t know them because they have no record and they are not on the authority’s data.
“They cannot operate any facility. either a filling station or gas station. without a license”, he added.
He expressed concern over the growing number of unapproved gas facilities that violate safety rules, warning that their activities pose grave risks to both operators and residents.
“Some of these gas facilities compromise the safety rule of the authority, and this is not only dangerous to them but to the environment where they operate also. Any explosion in this place will affect the entire area,” he said.
Akinyemi stressed that the authority will continue to monitor and clamp down on illegal operators across Ogun State to safeguard lives and property, while urging residents to only patronise licensed and certified gas dealers to prevent avoidable disasters.
