‘Roadside Gas Sellers Unaware Of Govt’s Utilisation Strategy’

Some  roadside sellers of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) popularly known as cooking gas in Abuja, last Friday  said they were unaware of the government’s planned clamp down on their business.
The Tide source correspondent who visited some of the outskirts of the territory observed that most sellers were yet to be  informed of what government had planned to ensure penetration of LPG in the country.
Some of the areas visited were Gwarinpa Estate, Dutse Alhaji, Dawaki, Kubwa and Ushafa in the FCT.
It would be recalled that the federal government had on May 24 said it would inject 600,000 gas cylinders as part of effort to ensure LPG penetration in the country.
The special Adviser to the former Minister of State for petroleum resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu,  on Gas, Ms Brenda Ataga, said that the cylinders  would be distributed to all recognised micro distribution centres in the country.
She said that government would commence awareness campaign to help sensitise people to the right procedures especially roadside or illegal gas sellers.
She said that after awareness, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) would commence clamping down on illegal or road side sellers.
“Actually, enforcement will start next week, we will start notifying people from today (May 24); there will be jingles in the media, so that people will understand what we are talking about,’’she said
But Mr Emmanuel Samuel who sells Gas in Ushafa said that he had not  heard  the jingles on TV or radio adding. “I listen to radio always, I have not heard any jingle on this issue you are telling me now.
“In fact, this is the first time I am hearing it. May be,  if I understand what government is doing,  I will comply, nobody has come to sensitise me,’’ he said.
Another seller, at Dutse Alhaji zone1, said “I heard in the news that government wants to buy gas cylinder for Nigerians.