The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Resources Authority (NMDPRA) has commenced a clampdown on illegal retailers of  Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) in Akwa Ibom state.

Ikechukwu Eseka, coordinator, NMDPRA, stated this during a courtesy call paid to him by the state commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Bakshar Hussaini, in Eket on Thursday.

He said that the authority frowned at the way LPG was being decanted by illegal retailers, including some filling stations and LPG refilling plants.

According to him, gas is very volatile; some retailers are decanting gas from cylinder to cylinder, which is an illegal activity and punishable by law.

Mr Eseka said the authority was out to enforce the law by stopping the illegal activities of the LPG retailers.

He urged the gas plant owners to stop loading gas to people who did not obtain NMDPRA licenses in the state.

He also urged the product marketers to register/renew their licenses before operating LPG in the state.

Mr Eseka, however, spoke on the aspects of the downstream that had to do with the authority’s enforcement, sealing of filling stations, and those using diesel for industrial purposes that had yet to register with NMDPRA.

“We have also commenced engagement with individuals and organisations using storage tanks that are over 500 litres to register with the authority in the state,” he said.

Mr Eseka thanked the commandant for coming to re-strategise and collaborate with the authority in the state.

Earlier, Mr Hussaini, the state commandant of NSCDC, said the purpose of his visit was to collaborate with NMDPRA on the issue of checking indiscriminate decanting of LPG in the state.

He noted that with the present economic situation in the country, a lot of illegal LPG retailers would be affected adversely.

Mr Hussaini urged the authorities to ‘’use human face to handle their cases’’ so that it would not negatively affect the government or cause serious hardship to the public.

He lamented that some retailers used their houses to sell cooking gas, saying this could cause environmental hazards to the public.

 (NAN)