The House of Representatives yesterday urged relevant agencies of the federal government to work out an improved policy design to curb accident of petroleum tankers. Eyes Of Lagos gathered that, The House also enjoined government to foot medical bills of victims of the recent Lagos tanker explosion. While adopting a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by the member representing Etsako federal constituency of Edo state, Hon Johnson Oghuma, the House noted that the cost of these losses of lives and property is nationally unacceptable and unfortunate. Oghuma in the motion observed that said accidents involving petroleum tankers, is at an alarming rate. “It is now of high frequency in occurrence and of high safety consequences in Nigeria,” he said. According to him, it is disheartening that the petroleum industry which was expected to operate under complete safety due to the high level of its products inflammability continued to exhibit complete lack of adherence to the health, safety and environmental (HSE) regulations. He said it was worrisome that most of the accidents were caused by the increasing use of vehicles that cannot pass the HSE regulations and yet allowed to load products from depots without regards to the operational regulations. “The House regrets that records of these accidents have revealed that 79℅ of the accidents are caused by human factors, and when they occur, the likelihood of spillage, fire and explosion is 70℅ with injury or fatality at 81℅ occurrences, “ he said. Oghuma however said that the House had resolved that the Committees on Petroleum Resources on Downstream and Upstream be mandated to investigate the rising cases of petrol tanker-related accidents and recommend steps to be taken to curb the menace. The House however referred the matter to its committees on Petroleum Upstream and Downstream.
