From CHARLES ONYEKWERE
National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has sensitised stakeholders on the prevention of tanker fire outbreaks, while cautioning tanker and articulated vehicle drivers against speeding within roads in Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu States.
The Director-General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, gave the advice yesterday during a one-day Awareness Campaign and Sensitisation on Tanker Fire Accidents and Fire Outbreaks held in Enugu.
Represented by the Head of Operations in Enugu, Mrs Ngozi Echeazu, the director-general urged Nigerians to stop scooping fuel from a fallen petroleum tanker and “stay clear from such scene to ensure safety”.
According to her, “please when anyone sees a scene of accident or disaster, if it is safe, join in the rescue of Nigerians and not filming, not making video content or recording the scene with your phones while people need your help.
“I urge road users to be sober and be safety concious. Tanker and articulated drivers should aviod alcohol and intoxicating substances, endeavour to maintain your vehicles and have enough sleep and rest before embarking on a long journey.
“Please ensure that the brake and lighting systems of your tanker or truck are working optimally and avoid worn out or retreaded tyres before embarking on journeys,” she said.
The director-general also condoled the families and friends of victims of tanker explosion within the South East, especially that of Ugwuonyema axis of Enugu-Onitsha Dual Carriageway early this year.
“I visited the spot of the incident, saw first hand the devastation, visited surviving victims in hospitals and ensured that relief materials were given to the families of victims. However, after that incident and similar others, NEMA said the trend must stop,” she said.
Speaking, the Chairman of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Enugu Depot Unit, Chief Chinedu Anyaso, said fuel tanker accidents and fire outbreaks could be contained when stakeholders work together and deploy regular training and retraining of drivers.
Anyaso, who was represented by the Secretary of the association, Chief Nnaemeka Iloafor, commended NEMA for taking up sensitisation against tanker accidents, adding that IPMAN would continue to support NEMA in its efforts to reduce disasters on the road.
“IPMAN is an association with the principle of safety first and in all our weekly meetings and fora we impress it on our members and drivers managing their tanker fleets never to compromise on safety standards,” the chairman said.
Corroborating, the First Deputy Chairman of Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, Enugu Zonal Unit, Reverend Boniface Okafor, appreciated NEMA for the sensitisation, while calling on the federal and state governments to fix deplorable roads which is a contributory factor to tanker accidents.
“The union within the last six months has fashioned out internal mechanism to ensure that tankers that are not road worth do not ply the roads,” he said.
The Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, in Enugu State, Mr Franklin Agbakoba, noted that 90 percent of accidents on the road are caused by human error or human negligence, adding that tanker drivers should “stop managing mechanical faults in their vehicles”.
Agbakoba, who was represented by the Chief Route Commander, Okine Ugwube, urged tanker drivers not to joke with the routine check of their vehicles and ensure prompt repairs of mechanical and electrical faults.
The Deputy Controller of Fire in Enugu State, Mr Godwin Ezeora, urged them to always have functional fire extinguishers and take courage to use it when the fire is at its formative stage, while calling the nearest fire service for help.
