Kwara State Government has vowed to stem the tide of the proliferation of filling stations, with a view to saving lives and property of the people within the Ilorin metropolis and environs.
The Executive Chairman, Kwara State Geographic Information Service, Dr. Abdulmutalib Shittu, made the vow when he played host to the Management Staff of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Kwara State Branch, in his office.
He 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 the environment seamless.
Dr Abdulmutalib urged the regulatory authority, to as a matter of public interest, consider the 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, Engr. Atiku Ibrahim, identified with the Kwara State Geographic Information Service as the sole approving agency in the state that could grant approval or withdrawal as the case may be.
He asserted that the 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 standards would be sanctioned accordingly.
In their separate remarks, the Directors of Physical Planning Authority and Urban and Regional Planning, Taye Mohammed Issa and Fatai Alao, emphasized that the agencies would not rest on their oars towards ensuring a habitable environment in the state.
