The House of Representatives has called for an urgent repair of dilapidated sections of the Benin-Warri highway which led to the recent fuel tanker explosion that claimed 20 lives at the Koko Junction in Delta State.
The call followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Thomas Ereyitomi (Delta-PDP) during plenary on Wednesday.
In moving the motion, Ereyitomi noted that the unfortunate loss of more than 20 lives, including children and women on Oct. 1, was worrisome.
The incident was caused by a fallen tanker laden with Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) that exploded at Koko Junction in the Warri-Benin highway in Delta.
He said apart from the deaths recorded, other people sustained different degrees of injuries while over 16 vehicles and three motorcycles were destroyed by the inferno.
He further stated that the unfortunate incident would further worsen the plight of road users.
The lawmaker said road users already had to cope with massive gridlock occasioned by the dilapidated road, spending days on a journey that should ordinarily not exceed 45 minutes.
He said the road was plagued by significant number of accidents which often involved tankers and other heavy duty vehicles which tumbled as drivers maneuvered failed portions of the road.
“With the accident, commuters and motorists will become more exposed to attacks by hoodlums/miscreants who take advantage of such situations to wreck havoc.
“The failed portions of this road have become a death trap for users of the road with little or no remedial efforts from any quarter over a period of time to pose this kind of danger.”
Adopting the motion, the House, therefore, observed a minute silence in honour of those who lost their lives in the tragic incident.
The House urged the National Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to immediately send relief materials to affected victims
The lawmakers also urged the Federal Ministry of Works to expedite action on the rehabilitation of the road and other federal roads around the country, to forestall future occurrence.
They also asked that victims’ medical bills be settled for those hospitalised.
The House further mandated its committees on emergency and disaster management, works and legislative compliance, to comply with the resolution.
