ABUJA – Senate of the Federal Republic yesterday, resolved to summon management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to meet with its relevant committees to be constituted and update them on the state of refineries in the country.
The Senate also urged the Federal Government to revamp the existing refineries and create enabling environment for private investors to come in and invest in refineries, as a pragmatic way of proffering permanent solution to the reoccurring fuel crisis in the system.
Moreso, the red chamber urged the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to package regular training programmes for tanker drivers in the country so as to reduce their recklessness in driving, thereby curb the carnage they cause on the nation’s highways.
The Senate made these resolutions, following the motion sponsored by Senator Gbenga Ashafa, which he entitled, “fuel tanker tragedies on Nigeria’s highways.
In his lead debate on the motion, Ashafa noted with serious concern the spate of fuel tanker explosions on the nation’s highways, noting that the ugly situation raised the question about what had become of the rail line project of the immediate past administration headed by former President Goodluck Jonathan, as alternative routes to highways.
“Within the space of one week, four fuel tanker accidents occurred in Nigeria’s two major cities, claiming lives and destroying properties; the first incident was at Onitsha (the commercial nerve centre of Anambra State), which claimed over 70 lives at Upper Iweka. While the inferno raged, men of the Federal Fire Service (FSS), in their typical nature, arrived late at the scene to extinguish the fire.
“As condolence messages were still being expressed to the victims and their families, another accident occurred in Lagos. Here, another tanker conveying 33,000 litres of petrol exploded at Iyana-Ipaja and injured no fewer than 14 persons, gutting about 21 vehicles and razing down 44 shops.
“As Nigerians were still lamenting the tragedy at Iyana-Ipaja, another occurred at Idimu in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos. The incident destroyed property worth millions of Naira, (while) no fewer than 34 buildings, 70 shops, one tricycle, one truck and other property were consumed by the fire ignited by the fallen petrol-laden tanker.
“All the fuel tankers lifting fuel from the tank farms along Apapa-Oshodi Expressway have done tremendous damage to the highways, causing deaths, pains and gridlocks on the highways. Time has come for government to seek permanent solution instead of temporal palliatives, as fuel tankers from all states in the North, South-East and South-West states (go) to Lagos to lift fuel and besiege the highways causing the type of (tragedies) we have recorded recently in Onitsha and Lagos,” Ashafa said.
He, therefore, argued that, all the tankers in the country would not have any business going to Lagos to lift fuel, if the refineries were still functional.
“Refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna would have taken care of the situation. The current road networks around Nigeria are grossly inadequate for the operations of trucks, tankers and the likes. Whatever would nail the menace in the nation’s highways must consider the volume of tankers lifting fuel from tank farms along Apapa ports, which have crowded the roads in and around Lagos, and extended to other cities in Nigeria,” he said.
Ashafa concluded by expressing optimism that fewer trailers would ply the Nigerian roads and other cities, if the rail lines were properly operating, and that such would help tackle the incessant accidents involving taker drivers on the highways.
Bukola Saraki, Senate President
