With a heavy heart, I wish to express my sincere concerns by commiserating with the families of victims of the very severe, unfortunate and painful tanker fire explosion that happened in the early hours of today around the Felele district of the ever-busy Lokoja-Abuja expressway.
Indeed, the sad, shocking and painful incident which claimed the lives of many people; including school children, women and men who were on their ways to their respective businesses and vocation for the day, as well as the loss of varied properties, will go down as a Black Day not only for the residents of Felele district but also the people of Kogi state and Nigeria.
On a personal note, it was very difficult for me to hold back tears while watching the gory pictures of some of the victims. Since I saw pictures of mangled, burnt and dismembered bodies, as well as outrightly damaged properties that were razed down in the inferno, I have being thrown into a state of shock, pain, anger and confusion.
One is particularly not happy that over time, cases of this and similar nature including multiple fatal accidents are increasingly becoming regular occurrences especially between the Jamata bridge, Nataco, International Market Junction and Felele axis of the Lokoja-Abuja expressway.
It is on this note that, I strongly call on the Federal Roads Safety Corp, and other traffic management agencies to show more seriousness, professionalism and competence in their responsibilities. Fact is, a cursory look at some of these trucks, tankers and articulated vehicles will reveal that majority are outrightly not road worthy. One is convinced that if the FRSC and similar agencies have been up and doing in their responsibilities by barring vehicles in terribly bad conditions from plying the roads, such negative and dastardly incident that happened today may have been avoided.
I call on the Kogi state government and relevant government agencies to put necessary precautionary measures in place to prevent such, similar occurrences. Also, there should be immediate and concerted efforts by relevant agencies towards the arrest and prosecution of those involved in this tanker explosion, as well as taking punitive actions on the haulage and/or oil company whose vehicle triggered the explosion.
Finally, as I join numerous others to identify with and commiserate the families of victims of this tanker inferno, I pray that they will never be victims of such incidents again. I also pray that God Almighty will stretch forth His hand of protection and preservation over the residents of Felele and other locations within Lokoja metropolis and the entire Kogi state, Amen.
HON. YUSUF TAJUDEEN (TEEJAY)
Member representing Kabba-Bunu/ Ijumu Federal Constituency
National Assembly
Abuja.
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2020.