Nigerians woke up to another tragedy on Wednesday, October 15, 2024, when an articulated vehicle laden with petrol was involved in accident in Majia town, Jigawa State. No fewer than 180 people were said to have died when the vehicle exploded spreading its content far and wide. Most of the dead and injured were said to have gathered around the fallen vehicle to scoop petrol.
The tragedy was of greater concern given that it was not the first time such an accident happened with the resultant high casualties.
Data independently gathered by this newspaper showed that about 346 people have died from such related accidents this year alone, and more than 87 suffered various degrees of injuries in 18 incidents between January and October 16.
These include the 30 people who lost their lives in Imo State on January 31, 35 died in a similar incident In Nasarawa State on August 12, and then 12 died the next day in Kogi State.
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And on August 19, 20 other people died in another accident in Cross River State. In a similar accident on September 9, on Bida-Agaie-Lapai Road in Niger State, more than 60 people died while more than 50 cattle and two cars were burnt.
The chief cause of the deaths, injuries and destructions from such accidents have been the habit of Nigerians to troop to the scene of the accidents with the hope of making a gain, not minding the inherent dangers involved.
The other reason is why such accidents keep happening and how we are yet to contain them as a nation.
Findings have shown that they range from unlicensed and reckless drivers, to vehicles that are not roadworthy and have no business being on our roads. Other reasons are the deplorable state of our roads and people driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Under these circumstances, both inter- and intra-city journeys have become risky, with many travellers coming face to face with death almost every day.
In the Jigawa accident, the Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, said the incident was caused by neglect of safety rules. “The lone crash, which had no casualties as the driver and conductor survived without any injuries, occurred when the DAF tanker loaded with Premium Motor Spirit attempted to dodge a speed bump while on high speed. The resultant impact of the driver’s action while on high speed, detached the tanker from the body of the articulated vehicle,” he said.
It is, indeed, disheartening that in 2024, we are still battling with the menace of articulated vehicles on our roads.
Relevant government agencies have, mostly due to weakness, corruption or both, allowed drivers of articulated vehicles to become law unto themselves.
The laws guiding the operations of these vehicles are never strictly enforced, and violators punished to deter others from doing or committing the same offence.
The federal government, in a statement by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, called for a comprehensive review of fuel transportation safety protocols across Nigeria.
However, we note that such pronouncement was not new. The federal government, in July 2022, during a Stakeholders’ Forum on Haulage Transportation in Nigeria, convened by the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, banned tankers, trailers and other articulated vehicles that did not comply with the minimum safety measures from plying our roads. The SGF had said this stemmed from “The deep concern of the federal government on the rising spate of road traffic crashes involving articulated vehicles and high casualties in both human and material resources”. Yet, nothing has changed despite the ubiquitous presence of traffic-related officials on our roads.
We are, therefore, calling on the relevant authorities to ensure the implementation of the resolutions reached at the forum and the latest pronouncement by the vice president.
Another way we can contain the menace is for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to resuscitate its 21 depots across the country so that petroleum products can easily be sourced from there, after supply for major depots or refineries as the case may be. This has been the case in the 1970s and 1980s. This will reduce the incidents of accidents on our roads.
We must not allow our roads to be turned into avenues of deaths and destruction. The time to tame this is now. It is unthinkable to transport thousands of litres of fuel by road from Lagos to Maiduguri, or from Port Harcourt to Sokoto.
Again, the relevant government agencies both at the federal and at state levels should wake up and enlighten people on the dangers of scooping fuel.
Community leaders, traditional and religious leaders should also make it a point of duty to enlighten their subjects on the dangers inherent in such acts.
People must be aware that no matter their level of desperation, they must always put their safety and that of their communities first.
Daily Trust wishes to express its condolences to the people of Majia town, the Jigawa State government and all Nigerians over these tragic losses. We pray that the souls of the departed rest in peace.
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