Ignorance of the dangers driving Practice of scooping Fuel from Fallen Tankers- Anambra NOA Boss

The NOA officials at the radio programme

Anthony Ugwonwa

Awka

 

The State Director, National Orientation Agency, NOA, Anambra State Directorate Awka, Edozie Ajaegbu, has described the practice of rushing to scoop fuel at fuel tanker accident scenes as highly dangerous and detrimental.

The NOA Boss, who wondered why some citizens try to maximize economic gains from such incidents, queried the spirit of the duty of care from the people.

Mr Ajaegbu posited that ignorance of the dangers associated with the practice was responsible for number of deaths recorded each time fuel tanker accident occurs.

The  Director, who was speaking yesterday during a radio programme on a radio station monitored by TSS correspondent, blamed the accidents in the country which he said had claimed so many lives of innocent Nigerians  on overspeeding, reckless driving,  poverty, the bad roads and driving under the influence of drug.

Recall that last month at Ugwu Onyeama in Enugu State over 50 persons were burnt to death following the spilling of fuel from a fallen petroleum tanker.

Ajaegbu, who further identified unabated checkpoints by the security agents on Nigerian roads, and plying on the roads at night by the tanker drivers as some of the factors also responsible for the tanker accidents, advocated banning of the tanker drivers from driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

While suggesting a  speed limit for the tanker drivers, the NOA boss, further called for empowerment of the officers and men of the FRSC, including VIO, by the Nigerian government at all levels, for monitoring  the operations of the tanker drivers while on the roads.

Those found guilty of scooping fuel at any given tanker mishaps, he suggested, should be meant to face the full wraths of law.

"NOA and other government information management organizations in the country are expediting actions on  re-orientation of the general public on the inherent dangers of scooping fuel on the spots of the tanker mishaps", he said.

He, however, noted that the age should be considered before engaging a person as tanker driver, pointing out a fuel tank should be properly covered to ensure that there is no leakage of fuel on the road with a view to averting unnecessary inferno in any part of the country again.

Fielding questions on the harmful effects of using chemicals as some of the measures of food preservation, the Deputy Director Programmes of the Agency, Mr Remigius Obi, urged the people to adopt the natural means of preserving their food items.

He observed that the use of chemicals for the preservation of foods had contributed immensely in the cases of human organ failures in the country, calling on the appropriate authorities to work towards controlling the harmful practice and save the people from untimely deaths.

The Deputy Director, who called for the enactment of laws to prohibit the use of chemicals for the preservation of all kinds of foods in the country by the government, also advocated the review of the old laws in order to make them relevant in line with the current government policies on food administration and control in the country.

Also, the Assistant Director Programmes, Mr Ignatius Obiorah, while speaking on the importance of birth and death registration, maintained that proper documentation of birth and death rates in the country would help the government in generating verifiable data for her policymaking process, planning and research for holistic development of the country.