OGHA Committee Urges Management of Eco Gas Plant to Share Safety Measures with Host Community

The Ogun State House of Assembly, through its Committee on Environment, has advised Eco Gas Plant in Mubarak Estate, Akute Berger, Ifo Local Government Area, to make all safety approvals and documents available to the host community and ensure total compliance with all safety guidelines.

The House Committee members, led by the Vice Chairman, Hon. Dickson Awolaja, gave the advice during an inspection visit to the gas plant site following a petition from the Community Development Association (CDA) over safety concerns.

Hon. Awolaja, in the company of other honourable members including Oluseun Adesanya, Adegoke Adeyanju, and Olakunle Sobunkola, visited the site to assess the ongoing development at the gas plant. He enjoined the company to always carry the community along in all its safety measures to address their concerns about the risk of operating the plant in a densely populated residential area.

He advised the management of the gas plant to share all regulatory approvals with the community, noting that the committee was satisfied with the progress so far and urged both parties to work together to ensure safety and transparency going forward.

On his part, Hon. Sobunkola appealed to the community to give the investor a chance, stating that the safety plans shared by the CEO were satisfactory. He also urged the community to verify all claims and documents presented by Eco Gas.

Similarly, Hon. Adesanya commended the CDA for being proactive and called for constant communication and peaceful coexistence between the community and the investor.

In his response, the CEO of Eco Gas, Chief Sina Luwoye, said more safety measures had already been put in place since their last meeting at the House of Assembly. These included the decision to reduce the gas tank size from 20 metric tonnes to 10 metric tonnes and to bury it underground in line with regulatory guidelines.

He said the National Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) had visited the site a day earlier for inspection to confirm safety compliance.

He assured that safety measures remained the top priority of the gas plant, promising that an automatic emergency shut-off system would be installed at the plant’s gate, and that a pedestrian bridge would serve as an alternate exit.

He also said the plant would be inspected regularly by NMDPRA and the fire service, while workers at the plant would undergo modern safety training.

Speaking on behalf of the host community, the Chairman of the CDA, Dr. Olupomi Ajayi, acknowledged the change in tank size but reiterated key concerns. These included the plant’s location in a highly populated area, the small size of the land, the absence of an emergency escape route, and the lack of visible approvals from bodies like the DPR and the State Urban and Regional Planning Authority.