DPR to partner FCDA to rid Abuja of illegal filling stations

The Department of Petroleum Resourc- es (DPR) says it is planning to collabo- rate with the Federal Capi- tal Development Authority (FCDA) to get rid of illegal filling stations in the Federal Capital Territory.

Mohammed Saidu, DPR zonal spokesperson, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, yesterday.

Saidu said the depart- ment was worried about the existence of many illegal filling stations within and outside Abuja, saying the DPR was working out mo- dalities to ensure that illegal retail outlets were moved out of Abuja and environs by following due process.

According to him, the agency has no mandate to demolish illegal structures, but could work with the ap-propriate authorities to do so, noting that before DPR could grant approval to build a filling station, there must be an endorsement from the Town Planning Authority for such a purpose.

“The DPR normally does not grant approval for construction of filling station if the site is not ap- proved by the development authority,” he said, saying all retail outlets that do not have town planning author- ity’s approval and DPR’s endorsement are illegal.

The illegal outlets are those that constituted nui- sance whenever there was fuel scarcity, he said, alleg- ing that such outlets often indulged in different sharp practices, as the agency had discovered 67 illegal retail outlets in the Federal Capital Territory and Niger State as of December 2014.