Preventing another Jigawa tanker explosion and carnage

The recent petrol tanker explosion in Jigawa State not only added to the frequent cases of accidents involving fuel tankers, it has once again heightened public anxiety about the safety of citizens in the country. The tragic incident, the other day, in Majiya town, Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State, claimed scores of lives of people who ventured to scoop fuel from an overturned tanker. The incident is unfortunate and amounts to a national tragedy.

According to reports, the tanker was travelling from Kano to Nguru, in Yobe State, when it collided with a truck near Khabija University in Majiya town, and no fewer than 107 people lost their lives while scooping fuel. This is sad. Frequent incident of fuel tanker fire and tanker explosion  is a heartbreaking reminder of a systemic crisis in the country and the situation is left to appear hopeless after the usual government promise of leaving ‘no stone unturned’ to unravel the cause of the incident.

While the cause of the explosion needs to be ascertained with a view to preventing such occurrences, the most appalling fact of the explosion, perhaps, is the defiance of Nigerians to have ignored the danger of scooping fuel from a tanker with a running or hot engine. Such is a recipe for disaster, and the outcome was hardly surprising. Fire incidents and explosions at the scene of dislocated tankers or at the scene of vandalised pipelines have occurred on too many occasions in the country for anyone to fall victim again, if not for greed for free fuel. As usually happens, nothing is actually free; while the cost of ignoring the rule is very huge. Nigerians must be warned constantly to stay away from scenes of accidents, or broken down tankers. There can be no justification for exposing selves to the danger so patently inherent in such a situation.

Several incidents of petrol tanker explosions across the country have not only claimed innocent lives, but had brought with it more misery and agony on the victims in death or as survivors. Yet, the news is always the same as people scramble to scoop fuel from the distress tanker, thereby causing a fire outbreak and loss of lives. It is indeed pathetic because of the massive loss of material and human resources that has become so rampant.

Unfortunately in the case of the Jigawa incident, the rescue operation was incapacitated because of the velocity of the inferno. An eye witness said: “We tried to help but the inferno was too much to be confronted. There were shouting, roaring from the people who went to scoop for fuel, coming from the exploded tanker”. It was most terrifying as people were running in all directions screaming for help. The fire spread so quickly that many could not escape, said another eye witness.

In this instance, it is not too late to attempt to unravel the cause, even though loss of precious human lives cannot be undone. But some precautions can be undertaken to rectify peculiar circumstances of the cause; and relevant information can be taken out for all potential such accidents. It is noted that an investigation panel has been set-up in the Jigawa tanker explosion while riot act is being spelt out by government agencies. This action should not be taken cosmetically, but rather pursued with the aim of preventing such disasters for all times and in all places. Also, Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for a comprehensive review of fuel transportation safety protocols across the country to align with global best practice in order to reduce traffic crashes. Again, this call should not be seen merely as a reaction to the horrendous incident, but taken to the next level of actually aligning with such global practices.

In other climes, however, petroleum products are transported through pipelines, and not by putting thousands of tanker vehicles on the road everyday as is common in Nigeria. In the wake of the recent tanker explosion, conversation is rife among the people that tankers are a menace to road users and a constant source of danger to lives and property wherever they are. As it were, the country is confronted with a seemingly intractable problem of government inaction, which is fast taking root and has become a grotesque way of governance in recent times.

What is critical now is the rehabilitation and treatment of the survivors. Enough of the usual rhetoric from the government and its officials.  No doubt, there is failure of monitoring and control of vehicular movement at night. There is also failure of monitoring or ascertaining the road worthiness of tanker vehicles and to ascertain that the drivers are of sound mind; and if they are not fatigue-ridden or under the influence of intoxicating substances. Quite often, public officials fail in their duties checking the above in pursuit of selfish pecuniary interests.

There is a need for drastic and urgent action from the government. The relevant sanctions in the laws need to be invoked to curtail not only the needless loss of lives each time petrol tankers breakdown, or are involved in accidents; but also to spare property and business loss. There should be no delay in dealing with the clear and present danger posed by fuel tankers to road users and business.