NMDPRA seals 16 gas plants, filling stations in Edo

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Edo State has sealed off 16 gas facilities and filling stations in the state for alleged breach of operational rules and regulations.

NMDRA also arrested five suspects and handed them over to law enforcement agencies for prosecution.

The facilities were sealed off in Oredo, Ikpoba Okha, Egor and Uhunmwonde Local Government Areas of the state during a two-day monitoring and inspection exercise carried out by the agency recently.

Speaking with newsmen shortly after the inspection, Ebi Ogionwo, the state Comptroller of the agency said the clampdown was a renewed onslaught against the activities of illegal and unlicensed oil and gas operators in the State.

Ogionwo alleged that some misguided operators within the public went about setting up oil and gas facilities in areas that are not suitable for the business and without necessary approvals from the agency.

He opined that it’s an offence for anyone to site such facilities without approval from the NMDPRA.

The State Agency Controller, however, gave the breakdown of licensed gas plants in Edo State as 165 as well as other CNG, Autogas and other Industrial gas stations.

The state NMDPRA boss explained further that the exercise was a continuous one, adding the rationale behind any arrest is to bring sanity to the operations of midstream and downstream petroleum business in the state.

Ogionwo, however, warned investors against circumventing due process when setting up such petroleum facilities in areas that are not approved.

He disclosed that suspects arrested would be charged to court.

“The monitoring and inspection exercise was to entrench safety of lives, properties and environment as well as to check for compliance.

“It is one of our primary responsibilities to make sure that all the people who have established and operating oil and gas facilities in Edo state do so legally, according to the petroleum laws and regulations.

“There are laws, guidelines and regulations that people must follow before they set up oil and gas facilities in Edo state.

“Nobody should go and build any gas facility or gas plant anywhere in the state without recourse to the agency of government that is responsible for licensing these facilities,” the NMDPRA chief added.

Ogionwo who noted that there were economic needs for people to maintain livelihood opined that the operators in the sector must operate in line with the laws, guidelines and regulations to set up the facilities.

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