Follow Us on Google
From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
As activities heighten towards the end of the year, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Abeokuta Field Office, has urged drivers of tankers conveying inflammable products, including gas and petroleum, to prioritise safety and exercise patience on the road.
The state coordinator of NMDPRA, Abeokuta Field Office, Dr. Akinyemi Atilola, stated this during a stakeholders’ sensitization engagement on End-of-Year Petroleum Products Handling, held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Addressing the participants on the theme: “Impatience in Petroleum Supply and Distribution Operations: Assessing The Risks And Dangers Ahead of The Festive Season”, he noted that non compliance to safety standards and impatience had sent many tanker drivers to their early graves.
Akinyemi pointed out that the end-of-year period was often characterised by heightened demand for petroleum products, long queues, increased commercial activities and pressure on operators, which sometimes result in unsafe practices and accidents, hence the drivers petroleum and LPG tankers need to exercise cautions and restraints.
He added that incidents recorded during the festive period were mostly linked to impatience, panic buying, unsafe storage of products and improper handling by marketers and transporters.
“Each year, this period brings its peculiar challenges: the rush to meet delivery targets, pressure from customers, long queues, and in some cases, panic buying and unsafe storage.
“Unfortunately, these pressures sometimes lead to unsafe practices, accidents, product losses, and even loss of lives.
“Today’s engagement is, therefore, designed to sensitise and remind all stakeholders, marketers, tanker drivers, LPG dealers, depot operators, and security agencies of the need to exercise restraint, maintain discipline, and prioritise safety above profit or speed”, he said.
Akinyemi, stressed that safety and compliance remain shared responsibilities, adding that the NMDPRA goal is to achieve 100 per cent compliance and zero accidents across Ogun State and beyond.
“At the NMDPRA, our message remains consistent: Safety and compliance are shared responsibilities. The Authority is not out to impose penalties, but to ensure 100% compliance and zero accidents across all operations.
“We believe that collective vigilance and patience can make this season accident-free in Ogun State and beyond.
“Our key message is: let us slow down and act safely. Impatience can cost lives, the environment and investments,” he said.
He however urged marketers, tanker drivers, LPG dealers, depot operators and security agencies to maintain discipline and strictly adhere to safety standards.
Earlier in her presentation, Chibuzo Akubueze, Head of Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSEC), NMDPRA Abeokuta, who spoke on the topic titled “Safety on Roads and Expressways”, identified human errors as the major cause of tanker crashes, accounting for about 85 per cent of incidents.
He noted that other contributing factors include mechanical failures, overloading, poor road infrastructure, harsh weather conditions and non-compliance with safety regulations.
Other News
He stressed the need for continuous training, defensive driving, regular vehicle checks, strict monitoring to prevent drug use, and adequate rest for drivers as safety measures to prevent accidents and loss of lives.
He, however, called for stronger collaboration among NMDPRA, FRSC, TRACE, IPMAN, PTD, MOMAN and other critical stakeholders to curb tanker-related incidents.
In his goodwill message, the Deputy Director of the Ogun State Fire Service, Mr Adebambo Adesanya, called on NMDPRA to organise dedicated training sessions for tanker drivers to enhance their emergency response capacity.
Adesanya urged drivers to always equip their vehicles with functional fire extinguishers and prioritise carefulness, good health and concentration while on the road.
He appealed to tanker drivers to avoid excessive trips driven by the rush to make money during festive periods, warning that such practices compromise safety.
The Assistant Director of the Weights and Measures Department, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Abdullahi Bala, encouraged stakeholders to remain vigilant and uphold road safety standards.
Meanwhile, NMDRA has carried out an enforcement and sensitisation exercise across major parts of Abeokuta, Ogun State, aimed at curbing illegal cooking gas operations and preventing potential explosion incidents.
The operation saw officials of the authority move through several markets and densely populated areas, enlightening residents on the dangers of patronizing unauthorized gas dealers.
During the exercise, a number of illegal gas outlets operating without approval were sealed off.
Speaking during the operation, the Ogun State Coordinator of NMDRA, Atilola Akinyemi, said the agency embarked on the exercise to enforce compliance with safety and regulatory standards in gas operations across the state.
He expressed concern over the growing number of unapproved gas facilities that violate safety rules, warning that their activities pose grave risks to both operators and residents.
“Some of these gas facilities compromise the safety rule of the authority, and this is not only dangerous to them but to the environment where they operate also. Any explosion in this place will affect the entire area,” he said.
Akinyemi stressed that the authority will continue to monitor and clamp down on illegal operators across Ogun State to safeguard lives and property, while urging residents to only patronise licensed and certified gas dealers to prevent avoidable disasters.
