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•Tinubu orders NOA to begin campaign on risks, dangers of scooping fuel
From Romanus Ugwu, Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye and Okwe Obi, Abuja, Laide Raheem, Abeokuta, John Adams, Minna
The Federal Government, President Bola Tinubu, his deputy, Kashim Shettima, Southern governors and Muhammad Buhari have condoled with the government and people of Niger State over the petrol tanker explosion.
Also, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, expressed grief as the death toll hits 86 with 80 buried in a mass grave.
Alhaji Abdullahi Baba-Arah, director general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), said in Minna, yesterday, that five of the victims were carried away by their relatives for burial while one died at the Dikko Primary Healthcare Centre.
He said the mass burial was carried out in collaboration with authorities of the Gurara Local Government Council and volunteers. He confirmed that the number of injured persons was now 55.
The tanker explosion occurred on Saturday on the Dikko-Maje road in Gurara Local Government Area.
Some residents had besieged a fallen tanker, scooping fuel. An attempt to switch on a generator to ease the transfer of the petrol triggered an explosion, resulting in the deaths and destruction of properties.
Evacuation order
The Federal Government has directed immediate transfer of victims from Suleja General Hospital to tertiary health facilities to ensure proper medical care.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mallam Mohammed Idris, stated this when he led a Federal Government delegation which included the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda and some heads of agencies, for on-the-spot assessment and to condole with the government and people of the state.
“President Bola Tinubu is deeply saddened by what has happened. He asked us to come here to see the situation. We have just gone round the wards and we have seen those that are critically injured.
“One of them unfortunately passed on and we were told that this is the eighth victim of the fire explosion that has passed on today and what we are seeing is the dire need of emergency medical attention.
“The Minister of Heath and the National Emergency Management Agency and all agencies of government will ensure that all these victims are immediately evacuated and taken to the Intensive Care Unit of the immediately available tertiary institutions.”
He nonetheless commended the state government for its swift response to the incident, especially in the provision of emergency medical response.
265 deaths in 5 months
The minister expressed concern over the loss of approximately 265 lives to tanker explosions in the past five months across the country.
He disclosed that President Tinubu has constituted a committee to investigate the root and immediate causes of the incidents and recommend effective solutions to prevent future occurrences.
He noted the between September last year and last weekend, the country witnessed four major cases – Ibadan and Ife where a tanker exploded and houses and cars were engulfed in fire; Agaie, headquarters of Agaie Local Government Area where about 48 persons lost their lives. On October 15, about 144 people died in Jigawa State in a similar incident.
“The government is worried and has set up a committee comprising the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, other critical stakeholders like NEMA, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, Federal Road Safety Commission, NARTO, NUPENG, IPMAN and other stakeholders to come together to find the remote and immediate causes of this and how to avoid recurrence.”
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has mandated the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to initiate a nationwide campaign to raise public awareness about the risk and environmental dangers of scooping fuel from fallen tankers.
According to a statement by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu underscored the tragic and preventable nature of the incident, as many victims were those fuel from the overturned tanker.
He advised all citizens to exercise caution and avoid approaching accident sites, especially those involving fuel-laden vehicles, due to their highly explosive nature.
APC, VP, governors, Buhari, others
Vice President Shettima expressed dismay at the devastating impact of the explosion.
In a statement by his media aide, Stanley Nkwocha, he commiserated with families of the victims, assuring them of government’s commitment to preventing future occurrences.
He extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, as well as the government and people of Niger State.
Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Dapo Abiodun, described the explosion as a devastating tragedy.
In a statement issued in Abeokuta, the Ogun State governor, who said the governments and people of the southern states were troubled by the tragedy, commiserated with Governor Mohammed Umar Bago, his cabinet and the people of Niger State, urging them not to allow their spirits to be dampened by the extremely tragic event.
“This is a soul-crushing event that has befallen Niger State and we pray that Almighty Allah will comfort the families that lost their loved ones in the incident.
“We also hope that the security agencies will up their ante and enforce the directives given by His Excellency, Governor Mohammed Umar Bago, to ensure strict enforcement of traffic rules in the state, especially given that this was an entirely avoidable tragedy.
“It is also important to warn Nigerians to desist from the practice of scoping fuel from fallen tankers, as most of the victims of this tragedy were people who ran to the scene of the accident to scoop fuel.”
Similarly, National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and members of the National Working Committee (NWC), in a statement, described the incident as a heartbreaking tragedy that has inflicted immense pain on families and communities across Niger State. “We are profoundly saddened by the loss of lives and the suffering caused by this unfortunate incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, the injured, and all those affected. We stand in solidarity with the government and people of Niger State in this moment of grief.”
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While praying for the repose of the souls of the departed and the speedy recovery of the injured, the former Kano State governor, reiterated his commitment to advocating for improved safety measures in transportation to safeguard lives and property across the country.
In its statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the NWC equally expressed sadness.
“We deeply condole with the bereaved families and wish those injured a speedy recovery. We also commiserate with the government and good people of Niger State over this tragic incident.
“We applaud the spirited and patriotic efforts of emergency relief agencies at mitigating the impact of the unfortunate incident. Our profound thoughts and heartfelt prayers are with the grieving families and the entire state at this difficult moment. May the souls of the departed find rest. Amen,” the statement read.
CAN, Obi, Tinubu, Buhari, others react
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger, in a statement by its chairman, Rev. Bulus Yohanna, expressed solidarity with the governor and the state government.
“We are deeply saddened by the devastating incident and stand in solidarity with the state government. The explosion is worrisome, heartbreaking, and unfortunate.”
He specifically sympathised with the governor and the families of the victims and prayed that God grant the dead eternal rest and heal the injured.
Yohanna, Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, also commended the government’s efforts in responding to the emergency and providing support to the affected families and those still hospitalised.
Mr. Peter Obi, in a statement on social media, described the incident as “truly heartbreaking” and called for urgent action to prevent such disasters.
“These accidents, which have sadly become increasingly recurrent, highlight the urgent need for stricter safety measures to address the dangers of tanker explosions and similar incidents, which often result in colossal disasters,” he wrote.
The former Anambra State governor extended his condolences to the families of the victims, as well as the Government and people of Niger State.
Former president, Buhari, also expressed his heartfelt condolences on the loss of lives in a fire following another petroleum tanker accident.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Garba Shehu, he expressed disappointment that the practice of scooping fuel was becoming more common in spite of warnings from the authorities and the devastating losses of life that had characteristically attended such incidents.
In condoling with the government and the people of Niger state, the former president wished speedy recovery to those injured.
The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, also expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims.
She urged everyone to be more cautious and avoid scenes of accidents especially involving vehicles conveying inflammable substances, due to the high risks involved.
“I received with sadness the news of the fuel tanker explosion which occurred on Saturday, January 18 at the Dikko Junction, Niger state where several lives were lost and many sustained injuries.
“I condole with the Governor, His Excellency Mohammed Umar Bago, the families and loved ones of the departed souls, the injured and the entire people of Niger State.”
Speaker, Vatsa task FG, commuters
The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, in a statement he personally signed, said it was not only sad but highly regrettable.
“This singular incident will go down as one of the darkest days in the state with this number of innocent lives lost in a single day, it is heartbroken. It is one Tanker accident too many.”
He argued that the incident underscored the need for increased caution and adherence to safety standards on the nation’s highways on the part of tankers drivers and other road users to avoid continued loss of lives and properties.
Also reacting, former commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism and APC chieftain, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, described the incident as sad and disheartening.
He nevertheless blamed the unfortunate incident on the deplorable condition of federal roads in the state which he claimed, has continued to cause carnage on highways in different parts of the state.
He particularly cited the Minna-Suleja highway which terminates at Diko junction, scene of the latest incident, and which contract was awarded almost 15 years ago but abandoned, as an example of numerous federal roads in the state in a deplorable condition and begging for attention. “The only way the Federal Government can sympathise with the victims, government and people of the state is to hasten works on this road and ensure its completion. This road has claimed many innocent lives and it is time to ensure its completion.”
NMDPRA to review safety procedures
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has said it would review its operating procedures to encourage safety awareness, following Saturday’s tanker explosion in Niger.
Mr. Farouk Ahmed, chief executive, NMDPRA, said this when he visited the site of the petrol tanker explosion.
He said after receiving a preliminary report of the accident, the authority would carry out further investigation, and come up with measures to prevent reoccurrence.
The inspection team included oil stakeholders such as the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), branch of NUPENG.
Ahmed, represented by Dr Mustapha Lamorde, Executive Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Community, NMDPRA, said the authority would collaborate with relevant stakeholders to enhance public awareness to avoid reoccurrence.
