The speaker Dr. Ali Ahmad gave this indication in Ilorin while declaring open a public hearing on "checking proliferation of filling stations in residential areas in the state.

Dr. Ahmad explained that the pursuit of Internally Generated Revenue should not be an excuse to drive the people to the brink of endangering their lives and property.

He said public hearing was in response to the cries of the people against illegal proliferation of petrol stations in the state and assured that the House under his leadership would carry out its legislative functions without fear or favour and called for the support of all and sundry in the task ahead.

He recalled that in 2006, the then Governor of the State Dr. Bukola Saraki had placed an embargo on construction of new filling stations in Ilorin Metropolis but said in apparent display of lawlessness, the filling stations continue to spring up daily thereby endangering the well-being of the people of the State.

In his submission, the Permanent Secretary State Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Alhaji Mustapha Abdullahi disclosed that about 129 filling stations in the State were constructed without necessary approval from the relevant agencies.

He suggested among others things stiff penalties from the State House of Assembly and that no filling Stations should be allowed within 3 kilometres radius of core areas in Ilorin.

The Permanent Secretary equally enjoined the Legislature to pass the pending Urban and Regional Planning Board Bill to check haphazard development of the State.

The Permanent Secretary State Ministry of Commerce and Cooperatives Alhaji Koro Mohammed blamed the Proliferation on increasing urbanisation of the State capital but said his Ministry had no regulatory and Approving functions in the establishment of filling Stations.

He then advocated the establishment of safety commission as in Lagos State which he said would issue safety standards compliance certificate to all socio-economic endeavours across all MDAs in the State.

The Operations Controller of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in the State Mr. S.N. Philip who enumerated the guidelines required for approval to construct filling station said the enforcement of health, safety and Environmental standards was cardinal mandate of the DPR.

Mr. Philip while calling for closer collaboration between DPR and House said the industry in Nigeria should determine the suitability or otherwise of sites before further actions by any other appropriate agencies to check and control Petroleum laws, regulations and guidelines.

The Executive Secretary of the State Town Planning Authority Mr. Adeoti called for production of master plan for all urban settlements in the state.

Mr. Adeoti who narrated the ordeal of the Town Planning Authority said most owners of filling Stations usually threaten his staff with hoodlums each time they attempted to enforce Town Planning Laws.

The Permanent Secretary State Ministry of Works and Transport Alhaji Alabi Amuda had submitted that indiscriminate development of filling stations should be located on only federal highways and major arterial roads while fire service report he said should be requested by the State Town Planning Authority before giving approval for any proposed filling stations.

The Ilorin Emirate Descendant Progressive Union in its submission noted that approving and supervising Agencies had failed to perform their duties as required by the enabling laws and regulations and called on the House to enact strict law that will compel every filling station to observe.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on "Checking Proliferation of filling Stations Barrister Kamaldeen Fagbemi who said the public hearing was necessitated as a result of motion raised on the floor of the House disclosed that the Committee had visited Ilorin, Offa and Bode Sa'adu and discovered that the trend was only prevalent in Ilorin Metropolis.

He said the public opinion was fashion out to have public oriented solutions to the problem and assured that all suggestions, advice and submissions would be collated to assist in proffering enduring solutions to the problem.