Calabar – The Cross River State House of Assembly Committee on Lands has directed the immediate stoppage of construction work on a filling station approved in a designated residential zone, citing serious safety risks to residents.
The committee, chaired by Hon. Stanley Nsemo (Member representing Calabar Municipality), made the pronouncement during a meeting where it summoned officials of the State Development Task Force and the State Director of Town Planning over the controversial project located in a State Housing area.
Hon. Nsemo emphasized that the State Master Plan clearly designates the area as residential, not commercial. He warned that siting a filling station there would pose a “serious death threat” to people living in the densely populated neighbourhood.
The chairman reminded officials of the recent gas explosion at Fomex Filling Station along Edibe Edibe Street in Calabar South, which injured dozens of residents and destroyed property worth millions of naira. The incident, which occurred in March 2026, heightened public concerns about the dangers of locating fuel and gas facilities in residential zones.
In her defence, the Director of Town Planning told the committee that the area in question had been reassigned to commercial use as part of an ongoing review of the Calabar city master plan. However, when asked to produce documented approval for the rezoning signed by the Governor, she could not provide it.
Following deliberations, the committee ruled that the existing approval granted for the filling station should be revoked and all construction activities must stop immediately.
The lawmakers stressed the need for strict adherence to the state’s master plan to prevent haphazard development and avoid recurrence of tragedies like the Edibe Edibe explosion.
This intervention forms part of broader efforts by the Cross River State House of Assembly to strengthen oversight on urban planning, enforce zoning regulations, and protect public safety in Calabar and other parts of the state.
