The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) yesterday arrested two persons for selling gas at the Calabar Carnival Village in Cross River State.
But the duo claimed that they were not aware of the any law prohibiting the sale of gas at the village.While parading the gas vendors in Calabar, NSCDC Commandant in the state, Danjuma Elisha, said they were arrested on December 4, 2019 for selling gas at the village where all kinds of activities take place, especially during the Christmas season. He said the village was designed for fun seekers and not where people dispense gas that is highly inflammable and could endanger lives.
Elisha said, “You know that when fire disaster starts, it would go round and kill so many people. At this time when people are coming into the state for the festival, we need to be cautious.“It is wrong to sell gas at the Christmas village because that area is a dense place where people are selling many things; roasting of fish, cooking of all sorts and some are smoking.
“Gas is highly inflammable and when such disaster occurs, it will affect many people. We want a situation where people will come and enjoy the carnival and go back peacefully.“I believe in preventive measures and that is why we are taking this action. We are working with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to ensure safety of gas dispensing in the state.”
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Elisha said gas vendors have specific places where they have been licensed to operate by the DPR, adding that the carnival village was not safe for such businesses.
While stating that the suspects would be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others, he explained that the command had issued warning in collaboration with the DPR, urging gas operators to site their businesses far from residential areas for safety reasons.
“We are going to prosecute them to serve as a deterrent to others; else these people will still go back there, he maintained.One of the suspects and a sales representative of Namnomi Nigeria Limited, Glory Obla, said she was unaware of the implication of selling gas at the village, adding that her boss sent her there as a sales person to sell gas.
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