The Government of Ekiti has warned its citizen to desist from storing petroleum products in their homes or business due to planned increments in pump prices to avoid fire outbreaks.
Following the revelation of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timpire Sylva, informing the public to get ready for another hike in petrol price, some Ekiti state residents have resulted in buying in bulk and storing in their home and business.
The Deputy Governor of the State, Otunba, in the statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Bisi Egbeyemi, warned the residents against panic buying and also warned the petrol marketers from hoarding the commodity.
Otunba, in the statement, informed the public that unauthorized storage of fuels in homes and other places could lead to loss of lives and properties through a gas explosion.
The Government, in the statement, urged the residents to stay calm, stating that the government would work with the state Petroleum Products Consumers Protection Agency (PPCPA) to ensure that marketers sell petroleum products to consumers at government-approved rates.
The statement reads in part: “We are using this opportunity to appeal to the good people of Ekiti State to avoid fire disaster. Stocking of petrol in private residences, offices, and business centers is very risky.
“This could spark fire incidents that may lead to loss of precious lives and valuable properties. We don’t want lives to be lost and houses, shops, and other property to be burnt”.