The Nigerian Senate has directed the Committees on Petroleum Downstream and Gas Resources to investigate the recent gas explosions in Lagos State.
The Senate on Wednesday asked the two panels to probe the remote and immediate causes of the explosions with a view to preventing reoccurrence and report to the Senate in two weeks.
The Senate took the decision following a point of order moved by the Senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District, Solomon Olamilekan Adeolu, on the issue.
According to him, “the explosion caused serious body injuries to no fewer than 44 persons while destroying 36 buildings including a church, an event centre and a plank market as well as destroying 26 vehicles within a radius of 300 metres of the explosion.
“Regrets that the explosion believed to have been caused by the burst tyre igniting a gas leak of a stuck 30 tonne Gas Tanker attempting to extricate itself from mud totally destroyed multi-billion naira properties and businesses of many citizens.
“Further notes that just about two weeks later on October 10,2020, a similar gas explosion occurred at Candos Road, Baruwa, Ipaja-Ayoba, Alimosho LGA when an LPG Tanker in process of discharging gas at a gas plant exploded from sparks of a running power generator in the plant.
“Regrets that in this second tragic incidence 18 lives including a father and child were lost with scores sustaining injuries while 25 houses and 16 lock up shops fill with good worth millions of naira were burnt.
“Aware that Tanker Owners Association in Nigeria estimates that over 80% of all articulated vehicles as the ones involved in this incidents lack safety protocol requisite to their operations and plying of public roads.
“Further Aware that there have been a recurrence of similar explosions in recent times in the same senatorial district as happened in 2016, 2018 (Abule-Egba), 2019 (Abule – Egba) 2020 (Ijegun), 2020 (Ile-Epo, Oke-Odo) and Abule Ado.
“Worried that Nigerians living and conducting legitimate businesses in my densely populated senatorial district now live in justifiable fear of not only losing their lives or those of love ones from these frequent explosive fire disasters but also their properties and investments.
“Commends officers and men of LASEMA, Lagos State and Federal Fire Services, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps and ordinary Nigerians on their prompt roles in putting out the inferno resulting from these explosions and mitigating its spread as well as rescuing victims.”
The red chamber also observed a minute silence in honour of innocent Nigerians that lost their lives in the unfortunate events.
It also directed the National Emergency Management Authority and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to immediately send relief materials to affected victims.
(C) Control TV 2020.
