The Senate has mandated the Standard Organization of Nigeria to commence certification of petrol tankers as a condition precedent to plying Nigerian roads with petroleum products or other inflammable substances.
This was sequel to a motion presented by senator Isa Jibrin from Kogi on the urgent need of intervention by the Federal Government to mitigate the pains of the victims of petrol tanker explosion at Olofu in Ofu local government area of Kogi state.
Presenting the motion before the Senate plenary, Senator Isa Jibrin noted that Olofu is a popular settlement along Lokoja-Anyigba road in Kogi state, providing access link to different part of the country
Senator Jibrin regretted that a fatal accident involving a petrol tanker occurred at Olofu t which resulted in the explosion of the tanker and the consequent inferno lasted for days which resulted to the death of about thirty persons.
Similarly over seventy people sustained serious injuries and severe burns while vehicles and motorcycles were burnt by the texplosion, leaving innocent citizens in a state of mourning, agony, and economic helplessness.
Senator Isa expressed concern that majority of such petrol tanker explosions are caused by the poor quality of the tanks, which are fabricated and used without standard control to ensure they are of good quality.
Supporting the motion, Senator Yakubu Oseni from Kogi Central said Kogi state is very vulnerable due to the fact that it borders about twenty states and therefore deserves Federal Government intervention since the state government alone cannot carry the burden.
According to him, this type of incidents happens incessantly in Lokoja, Okene and other parts of the state.
Senators Sani Musa (Niger East), Sabi Abdullahi (Niger North) and others overwhelmingly supported the motion.
The Senate therefore resolved to urge the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to intervene in the plight of the victims of the petrol tanker explosion in Olofu, Ofu LGA, Kogi State through provision of palliatives to the victims.
The Senate however, urged the Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions to interface with relevant stakeholders to make it compulsory for petroleum tanker owners to take out insurance, covering damages from petrol tanker explosions to third parties in the event of losses to third parties.
Bashir Mayere
