•Chief Executive Officer and Programme Director of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, Engr Michael Oluwagbemi
The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative blamed last October’s car explosion in Edo State on economic saboteurs engaged in illegal fabrication of CNG cylinders.
The Project Director, Michael Oluwagbemi, made the claim today when he briefed State House Correspondents during the fifth edition of Meet-the-Press organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, reports The PUNCH.
He stated, “At this point let me be clear, that the sole safety incident that occurred in Benin last year was a result of economic saboteurs engaged in illegal fabrication of CNG cylinders and were arrested by the police.
“With the Nigerian Gas Vehicle Monitoring System in place, that incident will be avoided as only properly labelled & accredited vehicles with certified tanks will be refuelled.
“The necessary steps to launch NGVMS are ongoing, and we expect it to be in place by year-end.”
Oluwagbemi said the PCNGi is collaborating with relevant regulatory agencies and requires policy pronouncements at the ministerial level.
He said a demonstration project has already been conducted successfully, and significant progress in rolling out the NGVMS is expected within the next 60 days.
The PCNGi Chief said three people involved in the Benin incident were arrested and charged.
“In the immediate, as soon as we saw that incident, we, of course, set out our team, working with the Nigerian police, we’re able to identify one or two market spaces between Benin and Aba.
“So we’ve done sufficient surveillance of that region, and some intelligence did come across when they were doing that investigation, and some of those areas were visited and shut down.
“The three people that were arrested have been charged to court. So I think also, deterrence has a good long goes a long way when people understand that if you do this, you’re going to be treated with the full force of the law,” he explained.
On October 16, 2024, a Compressed Natural Gas vehicle exploded at the NIPCO filling station in Aduwawa, Benin City, Edo State, injuring three people.
The explosion occurred during refuelling when a CNG cylinder, later identified as substandard and illegally modified, installed in the vehicle ruptured.
