Ikpeazu charges oil and gas stakeholders over adulterated kerosene

Sunday Nwakanma, Umuahia

Abia state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, on Tuesday charged stakeholders in the Oil and Gas Industry to consider the safety of end users of Petroleum Products by ensuring that products lifted from depots are delivered pure and untainted to their final destinations.

Ikpeazu handed down this charge in his keynote address delivered to declare open two day workshop organized by the State Ministry of Petroleum in conjunction with Independent Petroleum Marketers
Association of Nigeria, IPMAN and Petroleum Tankers Drivers, PTD which held in Umuahia.

Represented by the State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Ude Okochukwu, Ikpeazu said special attention should be given to kerosene which is one of the commonly used petroleum products used by majority of the people, urging them to adopt monitoring mechanism and sanctions “to ensure that the right things are done in the interest of the people who deserve the right to live in danger-free environment”.

Governor Ikpeazu then called on security agencies in the state to intensify efforts and synergize with a view to curbing the adulteration of petroleum products, “government on its part will continue to partner relevant groups an agencies to ensure the safety of lives and property of the citizenry”.

In his remarks, the State House of Assembly Committee Chairman on Petroleum, Hon Tony Mezie Nwaubani emphasized that the workshop was coming at the right time stressing that it was the first of its kind in the state.

The State lawmaker who represents Ukwa West State Constituency commended the organizers of all the important workshop pointing out that the essence will bring sanity to the petroleum industry.

Hon. Nwaubani while urging participants to make proper use of the workshop said the State House of Assembly is moving round the State to interface with Stakeholders on the need to think on safety of the end users.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the occasion and the State Head of Service, Dr. Vivan Umah who was represented by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Mr Nkwachukwu Agonmou said the training has become expedient in view of the heart rendering incident of kerosene explosion that claimed not less than the five innocent end users of the product on June this year in the State.

He emphasized that it was result of public outcry that necessitated for prompt intervention of the state government not only to bring culprits to book but to organize the workshop for petroleum to forestall future occurrence of the ugly incident.

Earlier in his speech, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Barr Anthony Ojinji considered the theme of the workshop, “Nipping in the Bud the distribution of Adulterated Petroleum Products in Abia State”
said the workshop was designed to educate the people on the danger of adulterated products.

He appreciated the State government for approving the workshop which he described as timely in view of rampant cases of adulterated products saying the move will enlighten the end users and save lives of Abians.