Gas Stations Face Stiffer Penalties Over Incessant Inferno

By: Wisdom Acka

There is more trouble for fuel stations in the FCT as the Department of Fire Service, Federal Capital Territory Administration sought amendment to its fire fighting laws to provide for stiffer enforcement and punishment for owners of petrol stations, who violate safety rules. 

Comptroller of the Service, Engr. Sani Saidu, who disclosed this in a press briefing in Abuja Monday, decried weakness of existing laws; saying they were not enough to curtail the level of negligence by operators.

He lamented that despite its routine sensitization, fire outbreaks at petrol stations around the nation’s capital has continued to persist. 

Saidu noted that, while his firemen have intensified monitoring and supervision at the petrol stations, it has become necessary to ask for amendment to the existing legislation. 

According to him, the standard practice of allowing petroleum products laden trucks that just arrived their destinations to cool down before discharging has always been flouted. 

He disclosed that discharging of the contents of the truck is usually best done in a conducive weather temperature, but owners and operators always disregard it.

Saidu further stated that while it will be absolutely difficult to post firemen to all petrol stations for close monitoring, it would be important to have a law for punishing those, who disobey the rules.