Members of the Gas Tanker Drivers’ Association in the Republic of Ghana have called on the petroleum downstream regulator, National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to halt the piloting of the Cylinder Re-circulation Model (CRM) programme because it is failing.
The Government of Ghana, through the NPA, introduced the Cylinder Re-circulation Model programme to address rampant fire outbreaks at gas filling stations across the nation.
The initiative followed a gas explosion at Atomic Junction, a suburb of Madina in the capital of Ghana, on October 7, 2017.
Seven persons died in that incident with scores suffering varying degree of injuries.
In March, the NPA began piloting the first phase of the cylinder recirculation model in Kade in the Eastern Region and subsequently launched it at Obuasi and Yendi.
However, at a press conference in Tema, Chairman of the Gas Tanker Drivers’ Association, Shafiu Mohammed described the CRM programme as a complete failure.
Shafiu, who is also a member of the CRM Implementation Committee, urged the NPA to halt the ongoing piloting to avoid wastage of national resources.
He revealed that cylinders that the NPA used for the piloting exercise have been repainted and sent to Accra by some unscrupulous people.
“We wish to call on the NPA to stop the unnecessary dissipation of public funds by putting a complete halt on the launching of extra cylinder re-circulation pilots since the already launched pilots in Kade and Obuasi have completely failed,” he said.
Moses Kwaku Otoo, who is the Industrial Relations Officer for the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union, added his voice to calls on the NPA to halt the CRM piloting.
He urged the NPA to rather address the challenges associated with the existing policy.
Vice Chairman of the LPG Marketing Association, Gabriel Kumi, has also backed calls for the suspension of the piloting of the CRM.
“We have said let’s retreat because the two launched in Kade and Obuasi are not working.
“We have nothing against the government’s policy. We have been with the NPA in implementing this policy but we believe the way the NPA is going is completely wrong.
“You can’t adopt the same strategy that has failed. Go to Kade and Obuasi to check and you will see .We are now back to business as usual,” he argued.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com