THE news that the Ondo State Government through the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development commenced the closure of illegal gas and petrol stations across the state was received with great joy and relief by many residents of the sunshine state. It was a welcome action for a number of reasons. It is the right path to thread to secure the welfare and safety of the citizens of the state that are daily exposed to danger by the activities of the owners of the  illegal stations.

       THE  excesses of these illegal gas stations that do not have regards to the laws and regulations guiding the location and activities of the highly inflammable and dangerous services must be adequately controlled and checked according to international best practices.

ALSO, it is a good development because it will help to safeguard the welfare and safety of the citizens of the state that these unscrupulous merchants of death in their quest to amass wealth seem to be toying with safety of residents of the state. As a matter of fact, their illegal activities have relegated the welfare and value of human lives to the background.

THE  Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development in the discharge of its onerous responsibility of ensuring the protection of man and environment commenced the commendable proactive actions because of indiscriminate siting of gas stations, and filling stations across Ondo State. It is therefore a delight to notice the necessary ongoing clampdown on indiscriminate siting of gas and petrol filling stations across the state.

A cursory observation as well as available records indicate that majority of the gas and petrol stations did not obtain the necessary approval from appropriate government agencies before construction and that some did not comply fully with the conditions attached to the approval received.

THUS, many of them are not properly located. It is a common sight to see a gas or a petrol station sandwiched between two residential buildings or at very deficient locations capable of causing traffic obstruction and other nuances. In addition, many of the precautionary measures that they should observe are often largely unavailable thereby exposing the people to avoidable danger, accidents and death as was experienced from an illegal gas station along Arakale road in Akure a few years ago.  

AS  plausible and commendable as the present actions of government to rid the state of illegal gas stations, why did the government allow the owners of these illegal stations to develop the stations in the first instance only to rise up to seal them? In the future, since prevention is always better than cure, the Ministry should be more alive to its responsibilities to prevent illegal gas stations to spring up. The government should go further to identify and sanction government officials who compromised their offices to permit this nauseating and unacceptable development.

MEMBERS of the public should support the government by resisting the development of illegal gas stations in their areas In addition, the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development should ensure continuity in the clampdown on illegal gas stations in all parts of the state. T

THE  state government need to fully support and empower the Ministry in this very essential task while members of the public should also support, cooperate and encourage the ministry to rid the state of illegal and inappropriately sited gas and petrol filling stations to ensure the continuous safety and welfare of the people of the state in all parts of the state.

THE government must ensure that this noble effort of securing the state goes beyond sealing to actual demolition of unacceptable stations to serve as deterrent to prospective violators of our town planning regulations.

MEMBERS  of the public need to be educated on the dangers inherent in sandwiching gas stations between residential buildings and should be bold to report illegal construction of gas stations in their areas to appropriate government agencies for necessary actions.