The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has read the riot act to fuel stations in Abuja to operate within safety guidelines or face sanctions.
The warning is coming on the heels of three stations being gutted by fire in less than two weeks.
On Saturday, December 10, fire razed the Conoil filling station in the Area 10 of Abuja. The fuel station has within it the headquarters of Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, the Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, as well as the Defence Headquarters and the Federal Fire Service.
Before the Saturday incident, A.A. RANO, Mpape Junction, along Kubwa Expressway, was gutted by fire on December 1, 2022 as well as the Danmarna Filling Station at FHA Lugbe on December 7, 2022.
Speaking on the development, the Director-General of the FCT Emergency Management Agency, Abbas Idriss, vowed to henceforth clampdown on filling stations who flout discharge regulations in the FCT.
In a statement signed by the Head, Public Affairs of FEMA, Nkechi Isa, the DG announced that a task force would be constituted by the administration to commence strict enforcement of the regulations on content discharge and safety of life and properties of the residents of the FCT.
Idriss also faulted some of the filling stations in the territory for not having safety equipment or trained personnel, who could act as first responders until firefighters arrived.
He said, “The incessant fire incidents at filling stations in the FCT is becoming increasingly worrisome. The major cause of the fire is non-adherence to the given time of content discharge, which is preferably early morning or late evening periods.
Some filling stations also lack adequate fire defence equipment that will serve as first aid before the responders turn up. Some do not have trained safety officers who are supposed to guide the operators at the filling stations.”
The statement also read that the FCTA would discuss with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, and relevant agencies to ensure compliance to the regulations, while also calling on stakeholders in the industry to obey regulations and only discharge contents early in the morning or late in the evening.
“The FCT Administration will open up discussion with the relevant NNPC department, security agencies and other relevant stakeholders to see how we can strengthen the regulations and ensure full compliance of the laws and regulations with the view to saving lives and properties.
“FEMA is therefore calling on all petroleum industry stakeholders to always operate within the standard safety regulations in the discharge of all petroleum contents either in the morning or late in the evening and also to make adequate provision for functional fire defence equipment with adequate trained manpower to handle every situation.”
