The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has called for a legislative intervention to address incessant tank accidents in the country.
The caucus made the call in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Minority Leader, Mr Kingsley Chinda (PDP-Rivers), while reacting to the fuel tanker that exploded in Niger on Saturday, claiming 98 lives.
The majority of the victims were said to be scooping petrol from the tanker involved in an accident and exploded at Dikko Junction in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger.
Chinda said that the caucus was pained by the unnecessary loss of lives, blaming the sad occurrence on the raging poverty in the country.
According to Chinda, poverty is truly ravaging the people, adding that such avoidable deaths should not be condoned.
“Following the tragic and horrific death of about 90 people and injuries to many more that occured last weekend due to fire from a fuel tanker explosion, caucus commiserates with families of the victims and prays for the quick recovery of those wounded.
“The caucus is extremely sad and tearfully heartbroken. As some citizens paid the ultimate price, many others sustained varying degrees of injuries, including colossal loss of properties due to negligence of the tanker driver.
“This heart-rending incident is shocking, saddening and painful, conscious of the frequency of tanker explosions across the country, which has damaging psychological effects on our people, the environment and the economy.
“The caucus calls for appropriate punitive measures against violators of transportation safety regulations.
“Therefore, we call for the investigation and punishment of all those found culpable, just as we also call for a legislative solution to the incessant incidents of petrol tanker accidents in Nigeria to forestall future occurrences,” he said.
Chinda called on the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other relevant government agencies to intensify and improve traffic management of tankers, trucks and other haulage vehicles on the highway.
According to the lawmaker, this is in order to avert or minimise the occurrences of this kind of catastrophic mishaps to the barest minimum.
He appealed for total and comprehensive collaboration among all medical institutions toward the speedy recovery of those who sustained injuries during this tanker explosion.
On behalf of the caucus, Chinda expressed deepest condolences to the government and people of Niger over the unfortunate incident and prayed God to rest the souls of the departed.