NPA using Nat’l Service Personnel for risk assessment of LPG plants – President, LPG Operators

The leadership of the LPG Marketing Companies Association has accused the National Petroleum Authority of lacking the policies and actions necessary to curb issues of gas and fuel station explosions in the country.

On the part of the operators, it’s quite apparent that the regulator even lacked the men to do the job for them in that outfit having engaged National Service personnel to undertake field work on their behalf.

Speaking on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM, President of the association, Torgbi Adaku V said NPA has not been helpful in efforts to curb or reduce petroleum product-related accidents as the latter lacks the expertise in that regard.

Explaining this, Torgbi Adaku V told sit-in host Akwasi Nsiah that NPA is not doing any better job in its so-called risk assessment of LPG refilling plants.

“…They lack the expertise- that is the problem, because the day they came to my station that they were doing high risk assessment, they were with their phones going to the plant and I stopped them, I said my friend where are you coming from? And they said NPA… and I warned them that you’re the regulators, if you are carrying phone to the plant and if other people see it, if you’re trying to stop them will they listen? So don’t do this. And when I checked actually one staff from NPA with I think three national service personnel. What do they know? National Service Personnel what will they know? He questioned.

His comments follow the Krofrom gas explosion in the Ashanti region on Tuesday morning.

One person lost his life with eleven others sustaining severe burns at the Trinity gas station explosion.

The fire is reported to have started at a mechanic shop and spread to the nearby Trinity Oil Gas station.

Property including shops and at least 31 vehicles were destroyed by the fire.

The gas station is situated in a residential area surrounded by schools, churches and a car washing bay.

Residents in the area have called for the immediate relocation of the gas station. Some residents who had gone to pick up their wards at a school located right next to the gas station asked government to intervene.

Mayor of Kumasi Osei Assibey who visited the scene of the accident said the unfortunate incident re-emphasises the need for the implementation of the Cylinder recirculation module

Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional NADMO coordinator Kwabena Nsenkyire is blaming the KMA, EPA and the NPA for failing to implement crucial laws governing operations of gas outlets in the country.