LAWMAKER CALLS FOR EMERGENCY INTERVENTION AND AIDS FOR VICTIMS OF PETROL TANKER BLASTS IN UBEJI AND EGBOKODO COMMUNITIES OF WARRI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF DELTA STATE.

Honourable Augustine Oritsebemigho Tete, an Honourable Member of the Warri South Local Government legislative Arm, has called for emergency intervention and aids from both the Federal and Delta State Government for victims of Thursday 7^th September, 2017 twin blasts from heavy duty tankers conveying substance suspected to be diesel from the petroleum products tank farms in Ifie-Kporo, Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State of Nigeria.

He made the call while on a commiseration visit to residents of the affected area. He thanked God that there was no loss of human life despite the loss of property worth hundreds of millions of naira. “It is a miracle that

notwithstanding this huge level of destruction of property including commercial and residential buildings, electrical power lines and displacement of residents, no loss of life was recorded. It is worth a thanksgiving service” He said.

The law maker who is also a Warri South Local Government Chairmanship hopeful  in the 2017 LGA elections described as most deplorable, the condition under which the people of his immediate constituency live. The Honourable member lamented that his immediate constituency comprising of Ubeji, Egbokodo, Ifie-Kporo, Ajaetan, Ijalla and other host communities to NNPC, WRPC, PPMC, NGC, contracting and sub contracting companies have for a very long time been constrained to live under this very inhuman condition simply to enable Federal Government facilitate the lifting of petroleum products through the only access road available for ingress and egress the cluster of communities.

According to the lawmaker, the people in his constituency have for long been concerned about the obvious danger posed by the overstretching of the singular access road to their communities by the huge heavy duty vehicular traffic occasioned by the concentration of petroleum tank farms in the area.

He stated emphatically; “It has for a very long time been obvious to everyone, that we live with this ticking bomb; a situation where a road designed decades ago for light vehicular traffic is now thrown open to very heavy duty vehicles in ghastly violation of the standard engineering practices. My people have been reduced to the proverbial sacrificial lamb to allow the Nigerian State access petroleum products and we think that this is not acceptable at all”. He however absolved the current Delta State Government of culpability in the predicament of his people; contending that the problem predated the current administration. In his argument he said: “The Okowa led administration has shown more intention to fix the problem than any other past administration. If you are familiar with the area you will notice on-going concrete drainage construction work which in my opinion is essential for the construction of a sustainable access road in our terrain. Having said that, there is room for the Governor to do more in the area of speeding up the construction process. For the immediate, the Federal and State emergency response agencies need to step in to attend to the injured, displaced and traumatised victims of the blasts. Public spirited individuals should also assist”. He called for calm and promised the victims especially the small and medium scale business owners of direct assistance and advocacy to enable them restore their businesses.  

According to Honourable Augustine Oritsebemigho Tete, this incidence is a wake up call for global best practices in the industry to be revisited. He argued that the Federal Government Agency in charge of the supervision of storage, distribution and sales of  petroleum products, the Department of Petroleum Resources (D.P.R) has not been living up to its responsibility; which gap according to the law maker is the principal culprit  in this case.    

Referring to the relevant provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act CAP E12 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 , the law maker lamented the complete failure of the supervisory body in the circumstances resulting the unfortunate incidence.   

“The aim of this law is to ensure that before industrial activities such as the construction of petroleum storage facilities, operation and distribution of petroleum products are permitted, all matters likely affect the environment and the people living therein must have been considered and measures put in place to address the effects. It is a criminal offence not to comply with the provisions of this law”

He stated further that by the relevant provisions of the law, each of the numerous tank farms in Ifie-Kporo Community has to have had EIA registration, site verification, stakeholders consultation, data analysis EIA review and final certification as well as monitoring and evaluation.   

“With the above measures put in place by the relevant laws, it should beat anyone’s imagination how the only access road which is designed for light vehicular vehicles is now being used by heavy duty vehicles on a regular basis. It is very much like a foundation designed for a bungalow now being used for a 4 (four) storey building; disaster will always be lurking unless decisive actions are taken”

He then called on the Federal Government to do the needful and the people of the community to support the advocacy for the observance of the global best practices which he intends to intensify in the days to come.

He concluded: “I promise to channel and follow up the issue with the appropriate authorities in collaboration with my colleagues and other senior political office holders in the our area”.