By Goodluck Akhabue Aichienede
Following the directive by the Edo State Government to owners of petrol and gas stations to recertify their business ventures in order to operate in a society that safeguards the lives and property of its citizens, some operators in the oil and gas sector in the State have heeded the call and commenced the recertification of their facilities in line with the State Government’s directive.
The directive was given during the Benin City and Edo State Regional Development Masterplans Stakeholders Meeting held on Thursday, July 27th, 2023, at the Festival Hall, Government House, Benin City.
These operators who have complied and have been recertified include,
1. Raptor Petroleum at Textile Mill Road
2. Raptor Petroleum, 2nd East Circular
3. Raptor Petroleum, Sapele Road
4. Iyare-Napo Filling Station, Ugbiyokho
5. Victor Umweni Petroleum, Sapele Road
6. Sitravack Nigeria Limited, Isihor
7. Rodel Zuwa, Igue-Ihaen
The State Government has therefore urged the various petrol and gas station owners and operators who have not recertified their facilities to use the one month grace period to do their recertification at the Ministry of Physical Planning, Housing, Urban and Regional Development (MPPHURD), Floor 2, Block C, Edo State Secretariat, Off Sapele Road, Benin City.
Recall that at the recent Stakeholders Meeting with the owners and operators of petrol and gas stations, the Commissioner for Physical Planning, Housing, Urban and Regional Development (MPPHURD), Ms. Isoken Omo, revealed that statistics from a recent survey carried out by her Ministry were alarming, expressing shock over the clusters of petrol and gas stations in residential neighborhoods, most of which do not have approvals.
She noted during the meeting that out of the 812 petrol and gas stations in the State, only 200 of them had the necessary approval. According to her, these illegalities pose dangers such as traffic nuisance, fire incidents, noise pollution, and effects on the ozone layers, amongst others.
