One hundred and twenty Oil Marketing Companies have signed a safety declaration certificate, pledging to collaborate with the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to religiously observe safety regulations at their various fuel and gas filling stations.
The brief ceremony was attended by players and Chief Executives in the downstream oil and gas sector across the country.
NPA’s CEO, Mr. Alhassan Tampuli, in his address underscored the need for all players in the sector to adhere to the authority’s regulation on safety in order to prevent recurrence of previous accidents that have somewhat mired progress and reputation of the sector.
“One of the things we’ll be doing going forward in order to further reduce risks is that the NPA will use high risk areas for the upcoming cylinder recirculation programme and the low risk areas as filling points,” Mr. Tampuli noted.
CEO of the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMCs) Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Duah, explained that the association as part of its plan this year, will embark on a safety peer review and auditing system to strengthen calls for safety practice among members of the association.
He pledged the association’s resolve to work in collaboration with the NPA and other stakeholders in the downstream sector to ensure safety.
Deputy Minister of Energy in Charge of Infrastructure, Hon. Joseph Cudjoe lauded the initiative and the partnership between the two entities and said, the Ministry is keen to see a downstream sector free of accidents and explosions.
He cautioned the public to boycott those oil and gas marketing companies that does adhere to safety practices.
By Wisdom Jonny-Nuekpe