Tinubu condoles with Uzodimma, families of victims of Imo refinery disaster

• HURIWA blames FG, Imo govt
• Uzodimma orders clean up of explosion site, mass burial, fumigation
• Carry out census to ascertain deaths, group tells FG, Uzodimma

All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader and presidential aspirant, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has commiserated with the governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma and families, friends and loved ones of those who died in the recent Imo illegal refinery disaster.

He also sympathised with the people of Imo State over the loss of over 100 lives caused by an explosion at an illegal crude oil refining station in Abaezi forest, Ohaji-Egbema Local Council of the state.

In a letter to Uzodimma, which was made available to journalists, yesterday, by his Media Office, the presidential hopeful said: “I join all Nigerians in mourning the loss of over one hundred lives caused by an explosion at an illegal crude oil refining station in Abaezi forest, Ohaji-Egbema Local Council of Imo State.”

MEANWHILE, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has asked President Muhammad Buhari and the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, to stop chasing shadows and speaking from both sides of their mouths over the recent inferno that engulfed an illegal refinery in Imo State leading to the killing of over 100 persons engaged in crude oil bunkering.

It asked the President and Uzodinma to hold themselves responsible for failing the people by not proactively uncovering the existence of the illegal crude oil bunkering site or for covering up the criminal enterprise but have now engaged in ‘channel noise’ after fire engulfed the site of the illegal refinery.

IN a similar development, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has ordered clean up of the site where over 100 persons perished in an illegal refinery on Saturday midnight crude oil explosion in Abaezi community of Ohaji /Egbema Local Council of the state.

In the clean up, mass burial of the decomposing bodies of the unidentified persons, would be carried out, while fumigation of the area would be done thereafter.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, disclosed this in a statement he issued, yesterday, stressing that the relevant officials of the State Ministry of Health and other officials responsible would carry out the exercise jointly.

Also, the Igbo National Council (INC) has described the disaster as a “generational loss” of youths who would have contributed meaningfully to the future development of the nation.

The body also urged the Imo and Federal governments to carry out a census of families to ascertain the number of those who died in the explosion.