PDP Attacks Kogi Dep Gov Over Response To Fuel Tanker Accident

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has tackled the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Edward Onoja, over his reaction to Wednesday’s petrol tanker fire accident in the state.

The fire accident that occurred around the Felele area of Lokoja, the state capital on Wednesday morning, claimed the lives of 23 persons, including seven school children.

The accident occurred when an Abuja bound fuel tanker had a brake failure and in the process fell down at a spot close to GT Plaza and spilled its content on the road, which immediately ignited fire.

The fire engulfed the entire spot and extended to other parts of the area, including a major a bus stop where school children, workers and other people were waiting to board vehicles to their various destinations.

THE WHISTLER had reported that Onoja, during a visit to the scene of the accident, blamed it on reckless driving by tanker drivers and vowed that the state government would curtail such recklessness.

Onoja had also added that if truck drivers would not slow down at busy intersections, then the government must find a way to handle their recklessness.

He said: “One man’s recklessness behind the wheels of a truck sent 23 innocent souls back to their creator in one premature morning. Crushed and mangled bodies, arrested in mid-business, dismembered and burning in the infernal melée. 

“The recklessness of these truck drivers who fly like demons on assignment from hell needs to be curtailed. It will be curtailed. If they cannot observe the niceties of slowing down at busy intersections, then we will just have to device means of containing their madness.”

But the PDP, in a statement issued by its Spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Thursday, said the party was shocked by the response of Onoja.

Ologbondiyan added that instead of the deputy governor to mention steps being taken to safeguard the lives of the people, he only dwelt on excuses.

He said: “our party is shocked by the response of the Kogi state Deputy Governor, Edward Onoja, who, instead of assuring of a definite step to safeguard the lives of the people in the area, dwelt on lame excuses when he visited the scene of the accident.”

The PDP spokesman also took a dig at the federal and Kogi governments over the incident.

He said: “Indeed, the absence of fire and other emergency facilities around the area, despite the frequent occurrence of such accidents in the past signposts the failure and insensitivity of both the Federal and Kogi state governments towards the dangers that daily confront the people.

“Also, the major theatre of medical intervention in the state, the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja, had been under locks over a needless controversy on COVID-19.

“The recklessness of the state government has also increased the fatalities of the number of victims affected in the ugly incident.”

He called on the federal government to put instant traffic measures to forestall petrol tanker accidents as well as the establishment of emergency facilities in the area.

The PDP, according to him, consoled with the families of those who lost their lives in the accident, as well as people of the state.

He prayed for quick recovery of those wounded.