The Federal Government has stipulated new security standards for operators of fuel depots across the country, just as the military is stepping up its onslaught against
Boko Haram insurgents in parts the North East.
To this end, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) acting on behalf of the government, has directed that fuel depot owners should henceforth provide and deploy
surveillance equipment as well as bomb detectors and trained security staff to their installations.
DPR issued the directive at a recent meeting with depot owners. The agency said current security measures at many fuel depots across the country focused mainly on theft prevention and needed to be stepped up in view of the prevailing insecurity, including the Boko Haram insurgency.
Oliver Okparaojiako, who is the head of downstream in DPR, said taking cognisance of the present challenges in the country, depots are strongly advised to reinforce access control of both vehicular and human traffic into their facilities.
“Enhanced screening through use of electronic gadgets has been recommended at all depots. There is need for enhanced control of trucks in and around the depot for safety”, Okparaojiako added.
The regulatory agency said that depot owners should provide trained security personnel that could be proactive in dealing with security threats.
It stated further that the Close Circuit Television located at depots do not cover the access roads around them, and advised that this need to be applied in such a way as to cover a much wider area.
It has also advised that all trucks entering depots should do so without truck boys in order to minimise security risks. Reiterating the seriousness that government attaches to security at the depots, Chioma Njoku, zonal operations controller of the agency, said: “The federal, state and local governments have continued to sensitise all Nigerians to be security conscious.
The recent incident at one of the product depots and another close to a gas depot should be a wakeup call for all depot operators to set up security processes and procedures within their areas of operations, and perhaps synergise with one another as they are located in close cluster”.
