Ogun stops industrial gas sale to avert further explosion

By Dada Jackson

In its commitment to ensure the safety of lives and property of residents of Ogun State, the state government has put a temporary stop to the sale of industrial gas in the State, as a result of recent multiple gas explosion.
The state Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Femi Ogunbanwo, disclosed this on Friday during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abeokuta.
He said that all major stakeholders in the gas sector were expected to abide by the directive.
His words: “Anyone found guilty of selling adulterated gas products or violating safety protocols would have full weight of the law to contend with.”
He reiterated that Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, had been in consultation with the federal authorities, charging relevant agencies of government and the Nigeria Police to move round every nook and cranny of the state, investigate and bring to book whoever found culpable of any sharp practices or negligence that could cause further gas explosion.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Dr Ola Oresanya, described the incident as an ugly development, which must be nipped in the bud.
Earlier, a team consisting of Ogunbanwo, Oresanya, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Rasaki Ojetola, and other government officials had visited different sites of the explosion and some gas plant outlets, which necessitated the sealing of two of the plants in Omida and Idi-Ori in the Abeokuta metropolis.