(SINL NIGERIA) Following the Jigawa fuel tanker explosion on Tuesday, which claimed about 100 lives, Senator representing Jigawa north west at the 10th Senate, Babangida Hussain has canvassed national awareness campaign in Nigeria.
Senator Hussaini on Wednesday at the Senate plenary raised a motion of urgent national importance and drew the attention of lawmakers to the devastating effect of the fuel tanker explosion in Jigawa state.
Indeed, he sought for immediate intervention of the federal government to assuage the sufferings of victims, stating that much awareness needs to be done on the dangers of interfering with tankers laden with petroleum product.
Specifically, Senator Hussaini called on the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to launch a comprehensive awareness campaign aimed at educating Nigerians about the dangers associated with petrol tanker explosions.
The lawmaker, who briefed newsmen shortly after the senate plenary in Abuja expressed shock at the magnitude of avoidable loss that has befallen the state.
“What really happened was, on the night of Tuesday around 10 pm, a tanker laden with petroleum product heading to Hadejia had small incident on the way and fuel was coming out from the main tank and unfortunately the villagers living around the area were busy scooping the fuel.
“Suddenly there was an explosion which resulted in death of over one hundred persons, some within the vicinity and others were innocent standby individuals.
“We Indeed have over 600 casualties carrying varying degrees of fire burns spread over seven medical facilities “
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The senator emphasized the urgent need for public education on safety measures and the risks involved with petroleum tankers particularly in densely populated areas.
He continued: “increased awareness can help prevent future tragedies and ensure the safety of communities across the nation”.
The senator further urged security agencies and road management authorities to be proactive in the management of road mishaps to avert large scale deaths and injuries in future.
