As more Nigerians adopt Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) also known as cooking gas, the Federal Government has upped its war to curb the proliferation of adulterated product and sub-standard cylinders in the market.
Government, New Telegraph gathered, is drawing a strategy for the LPG cylinder re-qualification scheme and the withdrawal of old and substandard LPG cylinders from circulation.
Acting on this mandate, SON, which inaugurated an ad-hoc committee of its top officials and other experts in the oil and gas sector, maintained that the mission was to sanitise operations in the LPG industry.
Director-General, SON, Osita Aboloma, who inaugurated the ad-hoc Committee comprising top officials of SON and other experts in the oil and gas sector, said that the objective was to address the challenges and dangers faced by sub-standard petroleum products.
“We are setting up this committee because we want them to serve as the society’s watchdogs and identify latest equipment and products that are used in the discharge and sale of LPG items.
“The committee will also certify both old and new equipment such as storage tanks, vessels, cylinders and other things to make them safer to bring about improved service delivery in that sector,” the SON boss said.
The committee’s terms of reference are to sanitise the LPG sector, ensure professional and ethical practices by operators in the filling plants and retailers’ shops; report any incident of unethical practice and substandard products to SON especially roadside and illegal fabricators of substandard LPG tanks and cylinders.
The committee is also expected to submit its report to the Director General within three months for consideration and approval for implementation as well as come up with recommendations from time-to-time to move the LPG sector forward as it relates to SON mandate.
Director, National Metrology Institute, Obiora Manafa, who was at the inauguration, said that the committee’s terms of reference were very clear, adding that the committee would work relentlessly to sanitise the sector.
“We would ensure that new and obsolete tanks, vessels, cylinders are certified before use. I want to implore all of us to give our time, expertise and commitment to ensure the success of this national assignment. We are going to achieve this mandate because the terms of reference are very clear,” he said.
The National Treasurer, Nigerian Association of LPG Marketers, Ogunrinde Adebayo, maintained that the committee would be committed to the cause of protecting lives and property of Nigerians as well as investments
Corroborating Adebayo’s view, Deputy President, Nigeria LPG Association (NLPGA), Nuhu Yakubu, said that the committee would continue to provide its support and harness the existing partnership with SON.
The agency has also taken delivery of modern testing equipment to tackle the incidence of gas explosions in the nation’s oil & gas industry.
