By Eben Enasco .
Days after scores of people lost their lives on Independence Day as a result of a fuel tanker explosion between ologbo and Koko communities in Edo and Delta states, Nigerians have continued to register their displeasure.
The news first trended across media platforms of the tragedy that struck when some persons resorted to scooping petroleum products from a crashed truck in the early hours of Sunday, October 1st as Nigeria was preparing to mark its 63rd independence anniversary.
Statements have been released pacifying members of the communities who lost their loved ones by the two state governors, Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and his Delta State Counterpart, Sheriff Oborevwori, but nothing significant has been done to show government sobriety towards fixing the major cause of the accident which is the failed portion of the roads.
A series of protests had been mounted by citizens on the state of the road but it has always been a topsy-turvy between the state government and the Federal Government laying claim to who to fix the deployable road, a development that has left road users and motorists frustrated over time.
However, during a recent protest in Benin City, the Edo State capital, Civil Society Organisations called on the government to urgently respond to the deplorable state of the road linking major oil and gas-producing states to avoid losing more lives.
Speaking to the press during the protest, a frontline activist, Reverend David Ugolor said governments have failed to evacuate some of the victims of the dreaded accident a few days after the incident that led to the death of many Nigerians, pointing to the negligence of the part of the authorities.
Also speaking were Comrade Cadmus Atake-Enade and Mike Osho Oshobuke who are calling on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on the Benin-Warri Road, particularly on the Ologbo-Ugbenu axis of the highway, stressing that the road which is now a death trap plays an important role in the growth of the nation’s economy.
Recall that the incident claimed an unspecified number of lives and property despite unofficial counts reported after a fuel tanker exploded between the ologbo and Koko communities in Edo and Delta states as dead bodies and relics of some of the vehicles burnt beyond recognition are seen littered around the scene of the incident.
Some bereaved persons who lost a breadwinner during the explosion including Obi Victory and Abraham Evwata are calling for help after they discovered their bodies were burnt beyond recognition.
This is not the first time a fuel-carrying truck has claimed lives and property, but with this recent incident, concerned Nigerians hope that a near-permanent solution is carried out to avoid future occurrences.
