The State Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ogun State Command ,Abeokuta, CC. David Idowu Ojelabi, has reiterated the importance of collaboration and synergy between the Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) in Ogun State during his visit on Thursday.
He stated this while on a working visit to the NMDPRA Office in Abeokuta. According to him, “It will be pertinent and professionally good if the NSCDC and the NMDPRA join forces to reduce illegalities in the movement of Petroleum products across the State and the issues of proliferation of gas retailers which has become a menace.
“Meanwhile, the monitoring of such gas retailers and their proliferation across the nooks and crannies of the State will also be very relevant to safeguard and protect the people from fire disasters and other unwanted occurrences” he noted.
In his response, the State Coordinator/Deputy Director of the NMDPRA, Ogun State, Mr. Olakanmi Ayodeji, agreed that the NSCDC has been of utmost assistance on issues of curtailing excesses in the petroleum industry especially for some marketers and fuel station owners who may want to play smart during their operational activities across the State.
He continued by noting further that the NMDPRA is not also unaware of the springing up of gas retailers and the dangers inherent in those outlets especially with the upsurge of their numbers across the State noting that the agency will also solicit more cooperation of the Ogun Civil Defence in the fight against these anomalies.
While driving home his point, Ayodeji noted that the efforts being put in place to stop the proliferation of the illegal gas retailers in the State can only yield better results if the NSCDC personnel are made to follow up on the activities and actions taken by the NMDPRA.
Commandant Ojelabi submitted further that the Corps will never disappoint the NMDPRA in the area of protection of critical national assets and infrastructure especially as regarding the lives and property of the Nigerian citizens.
The State Commandant equally expatiated further that the Corps will be very ready to collaborate the NMDPRA in the area of prosecution of relevant cases linked to the issues of bunkering, vandalisation of critical national assets and infrastructure, diversion of petroleum products and supplies of adulterated petroleum products as enshrined in the NSCDC Act 2007 as amended.
