By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY – A non-governmental orgnisation; Peoples Advocacy Organization of Nigeria, (PAON) has engaged in a war of words with the Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki, Andrew Momodu over the citing of a fuel and gas station in an area the group claimed poses danger to members of the public.
But Momodu told Vanguard that the allegation was false and that he has approval from both DPR and Edo State Ministry of Physical Planning for the project. “It is not correct that I don’t have the necessary approval. I have all the papers as required by law. That place is an open place nobody can just jump into it and start carrying out such project with proper permission and documentation.
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“As at yesterday, the Airforce has sent their team for verification which was also successful. Meanwhile one of these people had even written to the ministry withdrawing his petition haven gotten the real facts.”
A petition asking for a cancelation of the project which it said was being erected along the busy airport road by golf course and opposite a traffic light in Benin City, also claimed that the necessary government agencies did not grant the required permission before the project was approved alleging that Momodu was using his influence in government to acquire the facility.
The petition which was jointly endorsed by Kola Edokpayi and Emmanuel Agbogun and addressed to the Chief of Air Staff, Nigeria Airforce Headquarters, Abuja, Hon Commissioner, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Benin and His Royal, the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II said “We came across a very worrisome development along Airport Road, by the Golf Course Traffic Light, Benin City where one Andy Mondu and his collaborators without any approval whatsoever from the requisite approving Authorities, as at when they started building , have cited a fuel and gas station at variance with the following extant Regulations.
“That the Benin Airport Transmission line is above the land upon which the Fuel and gas station is situate, which is inflammable, poses a great danger to public and private properties and lives of Citizens , is capable of igniting a huge fire disaster that could claim the lives of hundreds of people and is against the extant regulations on the citing of fuel and gas stations, anywhere in Nigeria”
