The Federal Capital Territory Administration has said it is working with the National Oil Spill Detection Agency to prevent oil and gas disasters in the country’s capital.

In a statement on Friday, FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello, said the partnership with NOSDRA was necessary to prevent and manage disasters in the territory.

While receiving a delegation from NOSDRA led by its Director-General, Mr Idris Musa, the minister lauded the agency while calling for monitoring and regulation of gas dispensing stations to ensure that they were not situated too close to residential areas.

The minister said, “This is one area that we have to be very strict and firm. Even where gas plants would be located, they have to be under tight control and regulations.

“Gas stations do not require much land like a typical petrol station and there is a tendency if we are not careful, especially in the area councils and satellite towns, they will just be squeezed into areas of high concentration of people or within residential areas.”

Musa lauded the Development Control Department of the FCTA and Abuja Environmental Protection Board for ensuring that filling stations were established in line with best environmental standards.

The director-general said NOSDRA had successfully introduced world class methods of installing underground petrol storage tanks at filling stations in a manner that would prevent seeping of petrol into the water table.

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