Stop Cylinder To Cylinder Gas Refilling now, warns DPR

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has warned Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) retail outlets to desist from the unsafe cylinder to cylinder gas refilling that has caused many fire outbreak accidents across the country.

The agency advised the retailers to go and address how to improve their businesses as it is not the desire of the department to push them out of their businesses.

The Operations Controller, Yola DPR Office, Mr Sadeq Ibrahim, handed down the warning on Monday in Yola during a one-day sensitisation meeting with gas retailers in the state. .

He stated that the warning became necessary in order to prevent fire disasters as well as protect lives and property of the people.

The department he said would no longer tolerate the dangerous cylinder to cylinder gas refilling business because of the safety of the people and also for those handling the business.

“LPG cylinder to cylinder re-bottling, refilling and decanting is prohibited by Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR),” he said.

Ibrahim stated that among the roles of the gas retailers as stated in the DPR regulations was to sell a full gas cylinder, either through cylinder exchange or a new one.

The Operations Controller advised the gas retailers to put safety measures in their shops and also register with the DPR.

“All gas retailers in the state are advised to provide protection safety facilities to their workers and the shop, and are advised to register with the DPR to obtain approved licence’’, he said.

In his remarks, Mr Emmanuel Ogbodo, Chairman, LPG Retailers Outlets Association, Adamawa, thanked the department for organising the sensitisation meeting for their members.

Ogbodo said that the sensitisation was an eye opener to the members and that the association would not toil with the various advise to save their own lives and that of their customers.