Latest update on the Tanker explosion that occured on Tuesday night in Majiya in Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa state shows that the Federal Government delegation led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume and Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru are on their way to pay condolence visit to Governor Umaru Namadi and the people of the state.
During the visit directed by President Bola Tinubu, the team will also conduct on the spot assessment at the scene of the explosion for vital information on the remote and immediate cause of the incident.
The tanker fire claimed about 150 lives, many whom were scooping fuel have been given mass burial. It also left close to 100 people sustaining life threatening injuries due to high degree burn suffered.
Eyewitness blamed the sad incident which occured near Khadijah University on the move by the driver to dodge a speed bump while travelling on high speed. The fuel tanker suddenly overturned and spilled the content on the road thereby attracting the passer-by and villagers who felt it was an opportunity to make brisk business. Sadly, the rest is history.
This is coming few weeks after similar disaster occured in Niger State which claimed at least 50 lives with scores injured.
Few hours after the Jigawa Tanker fire, Ibafo, a border town between Lagos and Ogun State witnessed similar experience though no life was lost but properties worth several millions of naira destroyed.
I dare say that no amount of condolence visit and support in which ever form will return the dead or heal the pains of the bereaved relatives. What could however bring a closure to this ugly but avoidable incident is for those in authority to apply the appropriate portions of the Law on movement of the Articulated Vehicles on our roads. Strict sanctions of the violators will also go a long way in addressing the menace. No doubt, the activities of Drivers of the Articulated Vehicles have been in defiant to the National Road Traffic Regulations and Lagos Road Traffic Laws.
What has always being the case when incident of this nature occured is that we believe it is an act of God. Destined to happen. We can subject this to debate but not at this time.
One will easily remember the popular Ojuelegba and Otedola Bridge areas of Lagos state which is synonymous with accident caused by Articulated Vehicles of various sort, claimed many lives but surprisingly no one ever held liable less of facing the wrath of the law.
Absence of consequences and sanctions for our actions and misdemeanor are largely responsible for where we are today in the country. So much that some Nigerians wilfully breaks the law with strong believe that nothing will happen as they say in the local parlance.
We must also as a matter of urgent national importance consider à lternative for transportation of inflamable materials on our roads.
Sometime, I see Containers ferried through the water ways in Lagos and marvelled at the ingenuity of owners of such who factored in the safety of the people and further damage to most of our dilapidated road networks.
We all know that the popular prayer that may we not witness such disaster again will only come to pass if we rise to the occasion and do the needful. Seems like we just said same prayer. Time will tell how long we will wait to see this ” disaster” occurring again.
Taiwo Olapade, Broadcast Journalist writes from Lagos.
