•Ogoni Youths Vow To Drag FG , RCC To ICC Over Huge Casualties
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has described as very unfortunate the fire accident that resulted in the death of some motorists and commuters.
The incident occurred between Indorama Gate and Aleto Bridge on the popular and ever busy Eleme section of the East-West Road, which is undergoing major reconstruction by the Federal Government.
Fubara, accompanied by the Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, and the Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources, Mr. Uchechukwu Nwafor, expressed sadness at the gory scene he saw. The governor explained that he got a call from the Managing Director of Indorama Petrochemical and Fertiliser Company Limited in Eleme Local Council, informing him of the incident.
Fubara said: “We are here to see for ourselves and get first hand information of the incident of what happened yesterday night. “About 7.30 – 8:00 pm, we got information of the gravity of the incident. I was told that it was caused by a tanker vehicle conveying Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
“In fact, I got the information through the MD of Indorama, and I immediately alerted the security agencies to make sure they take control of the security situation in the area.”And from what we are seeing this morning, it was not a pleasant case. We recorded a huge number of vehicles being destroyed and lives lost.”Fubara explained that he had already requested the relevant government agencies to provide him a detailed account of their findings to enable the state government take appropriate decisions and actions to significantly remedy the situation and reduce the negative on the affected people.
Meanwhile, Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF) has vowed to drag the Federal Government and the contractors handling the road project, Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The group, in a statement by its president, Dr LegborsiYamaabana, expressed dismay by the catastrophic explosion of a tanker laden with petroleum products on the Ogoni axis of the East-West Road. Yamaabana said: “The devastating incident has resulted in the loss of numerous lives and the destruction of properties worth billions of naira.
The explosion was caused by the absence of a detour, exacerbated by the dilapidated state of the road.
“While we mourn with those who are grieving, we must also address the root cause of this avoidable disaster. The negligence and incompetence displayed by RCC. It is unacceptable that RCC failed to create alternative detours before commencing construction, despite being fully aware of the heavy traffic flow along this critical artery. We strongly condemn RCC for prioritizing profits over the safety and well-being of the people.”
