Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ebonyi State command, has called on the federal and state governments to ban movement of inflammable products in the day time by patrol tankers to end incessant explosion.
The Corps said many souls have been wasted in the country in patrol tanker explosions and that it was high time the federal and state governments took a holistic approach against it.
State Commandant of the Corps, Francis Nnadi made the recommendation in Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State.
The Commandant spoke when when members of Correspondents’ Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ebonyi State chapter led by its Chairman, Comrade Uchenna Inya paid him a courtesy visit.
He noted that global weather change has affected a lot of things including movement of inflammable products.
He called on other security agencies in the country to collaborate and end incessant gas explosion.
Nnadi said: “Two, three weeks ago if you can recall what happened in Niger State, it went viral. We lost a lot of souls, over 100.
“Somewhere in Ogun State last week, it happened again. Few days ago, I was on my way from Awka when the Enugu incident happened. I went and used the old road.
“When I came in, I raised an alert to the state government. I said I am going to talk with other security agencies; road safety who are our partners when it comes to the safety of our roads, the police who are in charge of internal security, NSCDC who are first respondents when it comes to disaster management, the Nigerian Army who takes care of our outer territories.
“We need to come together, let us talk about the safety of our roads. These tankers moving around during the day is not doing us well.
“Ebonyi State Government can say no if a tanker enters my territory in the day time on the roads. We can do it, you can only move at nights when the roads are free. Once it’s 6:am, park wherever you are. The weather is changing, this global weather has affected a lot of things.
“At the slightest touch, it will ignite and only God knows the people that will be roasted. Just like the gas plant that I went to seal, over 2.8tons. They cook beside it, you see children playing around it. Of course, you know what that could have been. PMS is inflammable but LPGs is highly inflammable. It travels like a rocket.
“Let us stop these tankers ladden with inflammable materials coming at day time when the roads are choked. We can recommend this to the government, we can actually enforce it.
“All filling station owners, gas station owners if you have to move in your products here, let it be when the roads are safe. Once it has to do with day time, anything can happen.
“We have to stop these tanker drivers from operating in day time. They have an association, we call them for a meeting, tell your drivers once it is 6:am, park wherever you are. You don’t notice these things happening at night , it is because there will be no contact and the weather is calm at night. So, you hardly have that kind of accident.
“My take is, let’s have a holistic approach on it. On my own side, to first educate these tanker drivers. You need to educate them otherwise you are going to have issues confronting them,” he said.
