FCT Fire Service calls for stiffer punishment to curb petrol stations inferno

… Suggest legal actions

Favour  Ishember, Abuja

The Department of Fire Service in the Federal Capital Territory Administration has on Monday called for stiffer enforcement and legal punitive actions for Petrol Stations owners who violate safety rules.

The Service lamented that despite its routine sensitization, fire inferno at Petrol stations around the nation’s capital has continued to increase.

Briefing the Journalist in Abuja, the Director and Controller of the Service,  Engr. Sani Saidu,  decried the weakness of the existing laws, saying it was not enough to curtail the level of negligence by operators, which obviously has always been responsible for the insicent  fire incidents in the Territory.

“I think they respond to enforcement more than dialogue and interface, government should enact laws and gazette it, that will serve as punitive mersures for violators of filling station safety laws”

They should even fine them 2.5 million for violation that did not result to fire outbreak, and 5million naira for violation that involves fire outbreak”

Saidu noted that while firemen has intensified their monitoring and supervision at the petrol stations,  it has become necessary to ask for amendment to the existing legislation.

According to him, the standard best practice of allowing a petroleum products loaded truck that just arrived its destination to cool down before discharging,  has always been flouted.

He disclosed that, discharging of the contents of the truck is usually best done in a conducive weather temperature,  but owners and operators always disregard it.

Saidu further stated that while it will be absolutely difficult to post firemen to all Petrol Stations for close Monitoring,  it would be important to have a law for punishing those who discard the rules.