Bauchi residents, estate kick against gas plant construction
Bauchi residents, estate kick against gas plant construction

Some residents of Tirwun and ATBU Kari Estate Staff Quarters have appealed to the Bauchi State Government to halt the construction of a gas plant in the area.

According to them, locating a gas plant behind a petrol filling station and opposite the Tirwun Jummuat/Eid Mosque is hazardous in view of frequent gas explosions across the country.

They raised the concerns during a press briefing at the NUJ Secretariat in Bauchi on Sunday.

A spokesman for the group, Muhammad Chiroma, said thousands of lives would be at risk if the project succeeded.

He said, “In the unfortunate event of an explosion, which is eminent, this location not only puts the lives of thousands of Tirwun Jummuat/Eid Mosque worshipers at risk, but also the lives of hundreds of residents, as well as the lives of pupils and students from both the adjacent Nursery/Primary and Tsangaya schools.

“The sharing of the gas plant in the same premises with the petrol filling station presents double jeopardy — where one will ignite and fuel the other, more like two time bombs ticking to detonate at any moment.”

He said the approval obtained for situating the gas plant was without recourse to the Bauchi State Fire Service Directorate, adding that promoters of the gas plant failed to provide an environmental impact assessment report to the host community.

Chiroma alleged that the intended access road to the LPG plant was for residential purpose, saying the road was constructed to serve ATBU quarters and was not adequate for trucks and tankers to manoeuvre in and out of the gas plant factory.

He recalled that there had been several gas explosions in different parts of the country with many people killed and property destroyed.

“In Nasarawa State on September 10, 2018, at least 35 people were killed with hundreds injured and 17 vehicles including two fuel tankers, motorcycles and three tricycles burnt to ashes.

“Note that similar to the situation we have here with Action Energy, this Lafia explosion is also a combination of petrol filling station and gas plant,” he added.

Another resident, Dr Adamu Isa, called on relevant government agencies to rise up to their responsibilities and stop the siting of gas plants in residential areas to save lives and property.

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