Tina Amanda
Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has called on people of Rivers State to switch to the usage of Liquified Petroleum Gas, LPG, popularly known as Gas, in order to improve the quality of living and reduce household accidents caused by the use of adulterated kerosene.
DPR Director, Engineer Sarki Auwalu, who stated this during a Technical Workshop organised for LPG Depot Operators, Refilling Plants, Retailers and other Stakeholders in Port Harcourt, said the safety of LPG has been proven to be a better alternative than traditional fuels such as; firewood, charcoal and kerosene.
The DPR Director who was represented by the Deputy Director Gas, Lagos State, Ahmed Zaki, noted that the federal government is trying to deepen the penetration of LPG usage to every household, and also make the product available, adding that government is inviting investors to come and build flare sites which will help boost the economy.
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“The essence of this workshop is to try and balance the need of the Federal government to deepen the penetration of LPG to every household and the safety issues associated with the manhandling of LPG. The Port Harcourt Zonal Operation Controller has been carrying out a lot of safety awareness.
“The safe handling of LPG is the responsibility of everybody from the Gas Plant Operators, LPG Retailers, Refillers and to the domestic users of LPG. Gas is very affordable, cheaper than other authentic sources of fuel like firewood and charcoal, it is more environmentally friendly.
“There are deliberate efforts by the federal government to make it available, flare sites have been offered to investors to come and build sites just to penetrate the market with LPG products. The Honourable Minister has launched the network cord to increase the access, he also inaugurated the national penetration expansion committee on LPG, all these are geared towards making the product available, to boost the economy, job creation for Nigerians and make the environment cleaner”
On his part, DPR Zonal Operation Controller Port Harcourt Zone, Bassey Nkanga, said the Department will only license genuine LPG operators who are ready to operate and meet the safety standard and guidelines.
“We observed a high level of abuses and because of that, we stopped licencing. We are carrying out an assessment to see those we will allow to stay genuinely based on meeting the safety standard and guidelines. Outside that, we will not allow them to operate”
Our correspondent, Tina Amanda, reports that at the end of the LPG technical workshop, a communique was issued on the following resolutions: on the need for curbing illegal LPG operators by continuous surveillance; deepening LPG (cooking gas) penetration in the rural areas by increasing public awareness of its benefits (cleaner, safer and more environmentally friendly), the cost of LPG and gas cylinder should be made affordable for the end users who are mostly women; DPR to look into the case of odourless gas in circulation in Rivers State; excessive fees charged by S.O.N for tank certification should be reviewed.
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