By Chukwudi Ebele
Reactions have trailed both news reports and videos that have filled the internet/ online news, social media, and mainstream media space concerning yesterday (Monday August 18, 2025) Protest against the establishment of a Mega Gas plant about to open for retail business / dispensing of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) or Cooking within a residential area at Obosi.
According to the protesting women, Youths and neighbors holding aloft placards with inscriptions like: "Our Health is not for Sale", "No Gas plants in Residential Areas", "Our lives Matter More", "Revoke the Approval Now, Urban Physical Planning Board", the Cooking gas station at School of health Road Ugamuma village, Obosi in Idemili North LGA, poses a great danger to the lives and property of residents including students of Anambra State School of Health around that neighborhood.
While some of the online commentators who saw the pictures or video footage of the completed Gas plant in their comments felt pity for the neighborhood wondering the kind of insensitivity exhibited by such a business owner others were asking questions like "where was the protesters at the earlier stage of the construction of the Gas Plant?". " Why did the neighbors keep quiet until now?". What stopped the residents from raising alarm before now?.
In response to these questions Mr. Uzochukwu Daniel Belonwu living with his family and children who shares the same fence with the Mega Gas Plant has come out to address the press stating all the necessary steps he took to stop the construction of the LPG gas station but to no avail.
"Discovering that my next door neighbor was about installing a Gas plant, we approached the Site Engineer severally but he ignored us saying that the developer has mobilized him to construct the Gas station.
"I petitioned the Chairman, Anambra State Physical Planning Board,ANSPPB, Awka through my lawyer Awale Ideal Esq of IDEAL Chambers on 31st March, 2023.
It partly reads: " Petition on Building of Gas plant at the Middle of a Highly populated Residential Area at School of Health road, Obosi, Appeal for your kind and Urgent Intervention".
"The developer has gone unabated with the building of the warehouse and the construction of a concrete based foundation and further wielding of tanks in a clearly residential area on an approximately 40 meters by 40 meters piece of land far less than the mandatory 100 meters by 100 meters stipulated by Department of Petroleum Resources DPR regulatory guidelines for the construction of an LPG Gas plant".
"Attached document and video clips proved when I started laying complaints about this Gas plant project appealing to Anambra State Government or whomever it may concern to come to our rescue," said Uzochukwu Belonwu.
Mr Uzochukwu Belonwu while recording the video of the Gas station site was saying things like: ' Look at the building someone wants to set ablaze,'. 'This is a gas plant'. 'Here is the concrete base/foundation for the Gas tank '. 'Just behind a family house someone built to live with his family and children'. 'State Government should please come to my rescue. This is my residential building, my apartment. It is very unfortunate that in the next compound is the Gas Plant. 'I have gone to the Anambra State Government to lay complaints several times but it seems they don't want to do anything about it'. ' 'How can someone build this gas station near family houses and residential buildings in the middle of about four buildings including a hotel facility'.
