Rivers Petrol Tanker Explosion: Nigerian Governors Call For Safer Transportation of Petroleum Products

The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) has called for a safer method of transportation of Petroleum products across the country.

Chairman of the forum, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, made the call Sunday, during his visit at the Government House, Port Harcourt, to commiserate with Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the people and Government of Rivers State over the petrol tanker explosion that claimed lives in the state on Friday.

Rivers state had on Friday night’s witnessed a disastrous tanker inferno which claimed many lives and razed over 120 vehicles on the Indorama-Aleto bridge axis of the East-West Road in Eleme Local Government Area, undergoing reconstruction by the federal government.

Speaking during the visit,  AbdulRazaq  said that discussions are advancing among the 36 State governors and strategic federal agencies in the oil and gas industry over the adoption of the safer methods of transportation of petroleum products.

AbdulRazaq, who is also the Governor of Kwara State, recalled a similar carnage in Ogun State, which was caused by a tanker conveying compressed natural gas (CNG) that impacted lives.

He described what happened in Rivers State as a huge loss, and said his meeting with Governor Fubara availed them the opportunity to have peer review discussions over the recurring decimal.

He said, “I came over to commiserate with the Government and people of Rivers State over the tanker fire incident and the subsequent huge loss of lives. May the souls of the departed rest in peace.

“We have peer review discussions over it. And similar incident happened in Ogun State as well, which you are aware of, and that’s a CNG tanker, Rivers State was petrol tanker,” he said.

Governor AbdulRazaq also said: “We also spoke with the Head of the Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency, and there will be a review of some laws. There will also be engagement between the Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency and State Agencies in terms of ensuring health and safety on these issues.

“As you know, Nigeria relies a lot, virtually, on pipelines for the movement of petroleum products, and we need to strengthen regulations in that sector, and also emphasize on improving and expanding pipelines for the transportation of products as well,” the NGF chairman added.

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt 

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