How I feel over exclusion from national honour – man who drove burning tanker

Comrade Ejiro Otarigho who drove a burning fully loaded petrol truck from a populated area in Agbarho, Delta State, to a riverside says he does not feel bad about his non-inclusion among the National Honours awardees.

Otarigho who confirmed that he has been receiving enquiries from people who wanted to know whether he is among the awardees to be honoured on Tuesday by President Muhammadu Buhari said nobody has so far contacted him for any award.

• Lokoja flood: Petrol scarcity spreads to states as gas price spikes
• Kwara: Corpses of residents ‘stealing’ fish during flood still missing 1 week after

Daily Trust reports that Comrade Ejiro, 46, on June 10 made the headlines when he drove his burning tanker from the densely populated community to a safe location.

For 15 minutes, he showed incredible bravery after asking his motor boy to alight from the burning truck while he continued to drive it to safety. He eventually got to the riverside, thereby saving the nation of a catastrophe.

According to him, if he had not done what he did to drive the truck away from the residential area, many lives and properties would have been lost.

He had received a lot of commendations from many Nigerians and the Senate through the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege recommended him to the President for national honour.

When the first list of awardees first came out, the issue was raised on a national television discourse where some commentators wondered why he was not selected for the national honour for preventing a national catastrophe and risking his own life.

Speaking with Daily Trust, Ejiro said he initially contacted his lawyer in Abuja who confirmed that his name was not on the list.

He said he didn’t know what happened to the promise made by the Senate through Senator Omo-Agege.

He said, “The matter was raised on Arise TV that why was my name omitted.  I am just okay with myself. It is God that gives honour. If God says he will, definitely he will.”

Asked how he feels for not being recognised now, he said, “why will I feel bad? What if I have died? I am just okay. It is only God that makes things work. I believe when God’s time comes, everything will work.”