From Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
Kwara State Government has vowed to stem the tide of proliferation of filling stations, with a view to saving lives and property of the people within Ilorin metropolis and environs.
Executive Chairman, Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KWGIS), Abdulmutalib Shittu, stated this at the weekend when he played host to the management staff of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Kwara State branch, in his office.
The scribe of the KWGIS explained that the collocation of the four directorates of physical planning authority, office of the surveyor general, urban and regional planning and bureau of lands, has made transactions in built environment seamless.
He urged the regulatory authority, to as a matter of public interest, consider safety of lives and property of Kwarans while granting approvals for petrol stations in the state.
In his remarks, the state Coordinator, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Atiku Ibrahim, identified with KWGIS as the sole approving agency in the state that could grant approval or withdrawal as the case may be.
He said safety of lives and property is the hallmark of their activities, adding that any illegal filling station or gas outlet that does not conform with regulatory standard would be sanctioned accordingly.
In their separate remarks, directors of Physical Planning Authority and Urban and Regional Planning, Taye Mohammed Issa and Fatai Alao, emphasised the agency would not rest on its oars towards ensuring habitable environment in Kwara State.
In attendance at the event were the Legal Adviser, Omolara Olubiyi, Director, Personnel, Finance and Supply, Motunrayo Adaran and Heads of the four directorates of the agency.