DPR cautions against sale of LPG to unlicensed marketers
Port Harcourt -- The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, has cautioned liquefied petroleum gas, LPG, plant operators and depot owners against selling the product, also known as cooking gas, to unlicensed marketers and retailers.
Zonal Operations Comptroller of DPR, Port Harcourt, Bassey Nkanga, who gave the charge at the LPG Stakeholders' Meeting in Port Harcourt, tasked the stakeholders to key into the aspirations of the Federal Government to make the LPG accessible to users in every part of the country, including the rural communities.
He also announced an immediate end to decanting of LPG in the shops and markets by retailers, warning that the
agency would clamp down on anyone involved in the practice.
Nkanga explained that in line with the Federal Government's directive to make LPG available to every Nigerian, the DPR would give all the necessary support to stakeholders to back up their business successfully.
He stated that add-ons would rather be converted to autogas stations while assuring that the Federal Government's plans to open up LPG utilisation in the country would generate a lot of employment in the country.
According to him, "The reason for this meeting is to encourage you to key into the Federal Government aspirations to make LPG accessible to every nook and crannies of the country, even the rural areas.
"We will always give you all the necessary support to back up your business successfully. We will work together to achieve government aspirations to penetrate LPG usage even up to rural communities."
"Plans are ongoing to clamp down on any LPG retailer involved in decanting of gas in the shop or at homes. We have set up a monitoring unit to arrest defaulters, seized their equipment and they will pay fine."
The Zonal DPR boss also urged defaulters and stakeholders operating without operational license to come forward to renew or obtained their license from the agency.
Speaking on behalf of the stakeholders, the Zonal Chairman, National Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, NALPGAM, Mr. Sam Okafor, commended DPR for the meeting and pledged to synergise with the agency to meet its aims.