Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Yussif Sulemana, has revealed that a significant number of the fuel stations springing up across the country in recent years are owned or backed by politicians.
This follwos convcerns raised by Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, Abena Osei Asare in relation to the improper licensing and poor enforcement of safety regulations in the petroleum retail sector, amid the clustering of fuel stations in residential and densely populated areas.
Speaking at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sitting on Friday, October 31, the Deputy Minister described the trend as worrying, noting that many of these stations are being constructed in unsafe or risk-prone areas without due regard for regulatory approvals.
“On record, we’ve seen a lot of filling stations springing up over the last one and a half years, especially between 2023 and 2024, and some of the places where they are sited are risk-prone areas,” he said. “If you check the records of all those that have been sited over the years, many of them—we politicians—are behind them.”
Alhaji Sulemana warned that the increasing political involvement in the siting of filling stations poses a threat to public safety and undermines the work of regulatory agencies.
He disclosed that the Ministry, in collaboration with relevant authorities, is reviewing the situation and will close down filling stations that fail to meet safety and environmental standards.
“We need to refrain from such actions to avoid any disaster that is likely to occur,” he said, adding “The Ministry has taken on board the Committee’s concerns and will ensure that all unsafe stations are shut down.”
Source:Lovinghananews.com
