News
NMDPRA shuts 19 illegal gas outlets in Delta
By Francesca Hangeior
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has sealed 19 illegal Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Category D cooking gas outlets in Delta State.
Category D LPG operators are those who refill gas from licensed plants for customers to collect from their premises.
The NMDPRA Coordinator in Delta, Victor Ohwodiasa, disclosed this to journalists in Warri on Tuesday, noting that “the illegal gas outlets were sealed within the past two weeks.”
According to him, the outlets were shut down in Orerokpe, Ogwashi-Ukwu, and Warri, as well as other surrounding areas.
Ohwodiasa explained that “the illegal gas outlets were closed for offences ranging from lack of prerequisite approvals to unsafe locations.”
He said, “During the operation, about 28 illegal outlets were identified by the authority. We tried to assess whether they could be regularised, as they were wrongly sited.
“The outlet sealed in Ogwashi-Ukwu was a five-metric-tonne refilling plant constructed by the roadside, close to high-tension cables.
“The authority assessed the environment and found that it was wrongly located on a right of way and had no approval. It was sealed, and a relocation order was issued immediately.
“Other offenders were engaged in what we call ‘decanting’—that is, transferring gas from one cylinder to another. This is strictly prohibited.
“The correct practice is ‘bottle swap,’ where customers exchange their empty cylinders for filled ones,” he said.
The NMDPRA Coordinator stressed that “the exercise is not intended to frustrate small-scale gas business owners but to ensure they operate in a safe and secure environment.”
He urged landlords not to allocate space to Category D LPG operators seeking to conduct illegal business on their properties.
“The goal is to prevent potential fire outbreaks that could endanger lives and property,” he stated.
Ohwodiasa added, “NMDPRA is committed to ensuring that lives and property are adequately protected.
“Imagine someone storing cooking gas near a welding workshop or where food vendors are frying bean cakes or roasting corn. A gas leak in such a setting would have catastrophic consequences.
“If an illegal operator does not value his own life, it is our duty to ensure he does not endanger himself or others by running an unauthorised facility.”
He assured that the regulatory authority would sustain its enforcement efforts across the state and that any violators would face legal consequences.
He also warned that offenders who refused to relocate their facilities would be handed over to security agencies for prosecution.
The coordinator appealed to the public to report anyone engaging in illegal gas transfers to the NMDPRA for prompt action, saying, “Help us to serve you better.”
Ohwodiasa further assured that the regulatory body would continue sensitising operators, noting that the authority holds annual stakeholder engagement meetings with gas plant owners and Category D operators.
He added that the regulatory authority also runs public awareness campaigns on radio and television to educate people on the safe handling of cooking gas due to its volatility.
The coordinator expressed appreciation to the Chief Executive of NMDPRA, Engr. Ahmed Farouk, for his continued support of regulatory operations in the state.
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia-North) has been announced by the Senate as the Committee Chairman of South-East Development Commission (SEDC).
Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu
Senate President Godswill Akpabio made the announcement during plenary on Tuesday 4, January, 2025. Before the new appointment, the former Abia Governor was the Senate Committee Chairman on Privatisation.
Senator Ken Eze (Ebonyi Central) was also appointed as the Vice Chairman of the committee. Akpabio further noted that other members of the committee will be announced in due course.
The Senate confirmed the board membership of the SEDC after considering the report presented by Senator Kalu.
The 18-member board is led by Dr. Emeka Wogu as Chairman, while Hon. Mark Okoye was confirmed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.
Other confirmed members include Ugochukwu H. Agballah, Hon. Okey Ikenwa, Chief Hyacinth Ikpor, Chidi Echeazu, Ifeanyi Agwu, Nasiru Usman, Hamma Adama Ali, Kumo Edward David Onoja, and Orure Kufre Inima.
Also appointed are Daniel Akwari, Chief (Mrs.) Joke Adebayo-Chukwuma, Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka (E.D. Finance), Chief Sylvester Okonkwo (E.D. Corporate Services), and Hon. Toby Okechukwu (E.D. Projects).
Others include Senator Anthony Agbo (E.D. Commercial and Industrial Development) and Dr. Clifford Ogbede (E.D. Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Rural Development).
A Nigerian man living with HIV has shocked many with his confession about engaging in intimate affairs with nearly a thousand women.
The man made the shocking revelation about his HIV status during an episode of Doyin’s Corner, a podcast hosted by former BBNaija housemate, Doyin.
According to him, he was diagnosed with HIV seven years ago but continued to have unprotected sex with numerous women, including commercial sex workers. He admitted that many of his partners were willing to engage in intercourse without protection after he offered them extra money.
Reflecting on his past lifestyle, the man shared that he once visited Obalende, a popular area in Lagos, where several women recognized him, as he had been intimate with many of them.
“A total number of ladies I have had sex with can be close to a thousand, to be honest. But in that seven-year period, I could say more than 400 because it was so cheap. I used to just have sex with anybody. There was a time I went to Obalende, and all the girls there knew me because I had slept with all of them,” he revealed.
“I was paying 700 to have sex with women in Obalende with condom and 1000 naira without condom after.
I slept with over 1000 women after realizing I had HIV”
Please protect yourselves if out there if you can’t abstain 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/Auhj2J51MQ
— Dami’ Adenuga (@DAMIADENUGA) February 3, 2025
In an attempt to change his ways, he said he started attending churches for deliverance, where congregation members often contributed money to support him. However, he did not clarify whether he disclosed his HIV status to his partners or took precautions to prevent transmission.
The confession of the HIV man has since sent the social media abuzz, with many condemning his actions while others expressed concern about the potential spread of the virus.
Read some netizens’ reactions below;
authentik_gymwears: “Na why I dey celibate be dis. Just look at….”
dupe_clark: “How do someone sleep with 400 women or men hmm thank you Mum and dad for a good home training”
dorothy_chris13: “This virus no dey show for face 😢assume that everyone you meet has it and protect yourself 🙏🙏🙏🙏 better to abstain and honor God with your body”
The latest development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, to journalists in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The affected aides include Ewatomilola Emiola, Senior Special Assistant on Research & Documentation, and Kikelomo Isijola, Special Assistant on Digital Media.
Both officials have been instructed to hand over all government properties in their possession to the office of the Chief of Staff to the Governor.
The statement reads:
“The Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has approved a reorganization of the Government House Media team. As a result, the following media aides have been relieved of their duties with immediate effect: Ewatomilola Emiola, Senior Special Assistant on Research & Documentation, and Kikelomo Isijola, Special Assistant on Digital Media.
“They have been directed to hand over all government properties in their care to the office of the Chief of Staff to the Governor. The Governor appreciates their contributions and wishes them success in their future endeavors.”
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has criticized the recently signed 2025 state budget, labeling it a “budget for looting.”
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa signed the ₦698.6 billion budget into law just a week after its passage by the State House of Assembly.
The budget includes ₦200 million allocated for lawmakers and ₦280 million designated for the Ondo State House of Assembly Speaker as ‘phone expenses.’
Reacting to the budget on Tuesday, PDP Publicity Secretary Kennedy Peretei issued a statement condemning the allocations as outrageous and unnecessary.
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