Gas explosion: Gas Minister visits Ogun as governor tightens truck regulations to improve road safety

The Ogun State Government is to introduce a policy that would enforce the roadworthiness of truck heads plying the state.

Gov. Dapo Abiodun disclosed this while receiving the Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, and his entourage in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

The minister visited the state to commiserate with the governor and people over last week’s tragic gas explosion in Abeokuta, which claimed lives and destroyed properties, including vehicles.

Ekpo also visited the site of last Saturday’s explosion.

Abiodun said attention would also be paid to the gas cylinders used by the trucks to ensure quality and standards.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Lekan Adeniran, emailed to Persecondnews, the governor said the steps became necessary in light of the state’s preponderance of gas usage.

He said: “I was very worried when the report of the incident reached me, and the reason for that is that Ogun State is the industrial capital of Nigeria with over 6,000 manufacturing industries and companies. We enjoy gas reticulation more than any other state in Nigeria.

“With the explosion, a lot of questions were asked as to what happened, how it happened, and the lessons learnt. We have received a preliminary report from the Ministry of Environment.

Abiodun also said:”We have taken some steps to forestall future occurrences. We have shut down the company involved to conduct a safety audit, and investigations are ongoing to determine the immediate cause of the incident and how to ensure that it does not repeat itself.

“We must ensure that truck heads that convey gas are roadworthy. We are going to put in place a policy that enforces road roadworthiness of trucks and looks at issues around standards. These issues will govern quality and assure us of the quality of the gas cylinders.”

Abiodun said he was worried about how the public would perceive the incident, especially with the creation of the Presidential Task Force on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to deepen the provision, utilization, and offtake of gas across the country.

He stressed the need for the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) to be up and running as the gas industry is rapidly evolving, noting that it was necessary to ensure adequate regulation of the industry.

While appreciating President Bola Tinubu for commiserating with the government and the state people on the incident, Abiodun assured that his administration would collaborate with the federal government to find out the immediate cause, what needed to be done to guide against future occurrences, and how to support those affected.

“I am glad that you have come and demonstrated that utmost responsiveness and concern, which is a heart warning, and I am sure that your coming itself will assure the people of Ogun State that they are not alone in this incident, and we, both the state and the federal government, are cooperating and collaborating to find a solution to the incident,” the governor said.

Earlier, Ekpo said he was in the state in his capacity as the Minister in charge of gas on behalf of the president to assess the extent of damage done by the explosion and report the same for a proper and prompt response.

While sympathizing with the families of the victims and those who lost property and businesses, the ninister said despite the incident, there was a need to continue with the CNG initiative to drive the economy as it is the cleanest source of energy.

Ekpo said he came with managers of the gas industry to find out what happened with a view to looking at how to address it to prevent future occurrences, even as he appreciated the governor for rising up to the occasion to assuage the sufferings of the people.

“Let me assure you that at the Ministry, we are taking gas infrastructure very seriously, and by the time we complete the AKK, the conveyance of gas through visual means will be reduced by taking the impact away from our roads.

“I have also told the Authority Chief to ensure that the companies they may be releasing licenses to have the capacity to pipe the gas to the end users so that we do away with these unforseen circumstances that took place here,” the Minister assured.

Speaking while receiving the Minister and the deputy governor of Ogun State in his company premises, the Managing Director of Gasco Marine, Mr. Segun Ogunwunmi, described the gas explosion as unfortunate, as the company, over the last five years since it commenced operations, has not recorded any incidents.

He said facilities at the company are topnotch, while the drivers are trained by officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission, and the premises are checked regularly to ensure compliance with safety standards.