Illegal Citing of Filling Stations in Ekiti State, DRP Condems

The Department of Petroleum Resources(DPR), a regulatory body for petroleum activities in Nigeria has frowned at some filling stations being cited in Ekiti State in illegal places and without due approvals.

An Official Comptroller of DPR, Mr Wale Oseni expressed displeasure of the Department while being conducted round some filling stations recently revoked by the State government.

Oseni noted that the construction of a particular filling station coming up in Adehun Area of Ado-Ekiti was against regulations as the body did not have any records of the filling station.

Describing the act as criminal, he noted that the owner tactfully covered up the construction work in order to keep it away from the public knowledge until it is completed, noting that such was unacceptable.

Speaking on siting of filling stations beside schools and residential areas, Oseni noted that retail outlets are not supposed to be cited close to schools particularly if the schools had been in existence before the filling stations.

He said safety comes first and as a regulatory body, there must be a synergy between the DPR and marketers to know appropriate sites. He promised to make his findings available to marketers in the state.

Earlier, Governor Ayodele Fayose disclosed that part of the efforts of the State government was to showcase to the DPR, what the situation was and to afford them the opportunity to see the sites of the controversial filling stations.

He noted that as much as the government would want ventures under its watch to thrive, that will not be at the expense of lives and properties of others.

The governor stated that the last fire incident in the state capital called for the state being proactive rather than engaging fire brigade approaches.

According to him, the filling station being built at the Adehun Area of Ado-Ekiti was stopped because it was being built on water ways after the last administration had demolished structures on the same land to allow safety.

A woman who has her building beside the Adehun filling station, Mrs Victoria Agunbiade noted that she had been challenging the owner of the filling station, as the lives of the people in the area were in jeopardy.

She called on the state government to salvage them, noting that her house for example has been in existence for over 30 years and she was not ready to suffer any loss should any fire incidence occurs in the filling station.