Siting Of Gas Station: Save Us From Danger Of Explosion – Bauchi Residents Urge Gov. Mohammed

BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – Concerned residents of Tirwun and ATBU Kari Estate Staff Quarters in Bauchi metropolis have cried out to concerned authorities to as a matter of urgency halt the construction of a Gas Plant by Action Energy Nigeria limited in their locality considering the dangers associated with it.

The affected residents particularly called for the revocation of the property title since Action Energy Nigeria limited is flagrantly violating the ‘stop work order’ issued by the Bauchi state government on the order of the governor.

The residents said that the location of Action Energy proposed Gas Plant at the site located behind Soro Petrol Filling Station, along ATBU-Kari Estate road, opposite the Tirwun Jummuat/Eid mosque is hazardous to their health based on past experience.

The residents told Journalists on Sunday at the NUJ Press Center that In the unfortunate event of an explosion, which is eminent, the location will not only put the lives of thousands of Tirwun Jummuat/Eid mosque worshipers at risk; but also the lives of residents as well as pupils and students from both the adjacent Nursery/Primary and Tsangaya Schools in jeopardy.

Spokesperson of the residents, Muhammad Gurama, who was supported by Muhammad Ali Chiroma, Mubarak Hamza and Abdulmalik Saleh Yalwa, noted that the siting of the gas plant in the same premises with a petrol filling station presents a double jeopardy where one will ignite and fuel the other, more like two time bombs ticking to detonate at any moment.

They also said that the approval obtained for situating the gas plant was temporarily issued without recourse to the Bauchi State Fire Service Directorate, saying that the promoters of the Gas Plant failed to provide an

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report to the host community to ascertain the effects and mitigating measures.

According to them, the intended access road to the LPG Plant is just for residential purposes that was constructed to serve ATBU quarters and not adequate for trucks/tankers to maneuver in and out of the gas plant factory site without causing havoc.

“We are aware that BASEPA and Bauchi State Urban Development Board have both issued ‘stop work order’ on the gas plant but they refused to comply since May 2021 while another ‘stop work order’ was recently ordered by His Excellency, Executive Governor of Bauchi State (JULY 2021),” the residents said.

They noted that the gas plant shares the same premises with the petrol filling Station making it a more potent to destructive force considering a few examples of gas explosion throughout Nigeria.

The residents specifically cited the gas explosion in Lafia, Nasarawa State on Monday, September 10, 2018 where at least 35 people were killed with hundreds injured and 17 vehicle including two fuel tankers burnt to ashes.

According to Gurama; “Also, motorcycles and three tricycles were burnt in similar circumstance like they have here with Action Energy. The Lafia explosion was also a combination of petrol filling Station and gas plant.

The residents also pointed at the gas explosions in Lagos at Ado Soba, on 16th March 2020 during which at least 21 persons died and 57 injured, 43 vehicles burnt and residents rendered homeless with 50 buildings damaged, just as it happened in Kaduna, Ogun and other states which had their share of such harrowing explosions.

The residents expressed appreciation to Governor Bala Mohammed for his timely intervention of issuing stop-work-order.