From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
The Federal Government and Renolds Construction Company (RCC) Nigeria Limited have denied any negligence in the tanker inferno that resulted in fatalities at the Indoroma-Aleto bridge axis of East-West Road, Eleme, Rivers State. They attributed the tragedy to the recklessness of the tanker and truck drivers involved.
Responding to a statement by the President-General of Ogoni Youth Foundation blaming the government and RCC Nigeria Limited for negligence, Minister of Works Engineer Nweze Dave Umahi cited eyewitness accounts indicating that the incident was caused by driver recklessness and impatience.
“When Mr President came on board, he saw how terrible this road was. And he directed that work should be started. Not as usual, but that the road should be redesigned. Apart from Benin to Warri and a part of Lokoja to Benin, there’s no other section of the road in this country that this kind of construction is going on,” Umahi stated.
“The ongoing 15-kilometre dualised road with six lanes is about the heaviest traffic road in the country. And so, because the soil is bad, we are digging about one meter. We are filling with lumps about half a meter. We are filling with sharp sand about half a meter. We are filling with stone base, eight inches. We are putting four inches, another stone base mixed with 5 per cent cement. And then we are now putting eight inches reinforced concrete pavement. The idea of Mr. President is that this should last for a minimum of 100 years, considering the load that it’s carrying,” he added.
Umahi called for enhanced enforcement of driving rules and road safety checks, especially for heavy-duty vehicles.
“My sympathy goes to all the families of the victims of the inferno for the unfortunate and irrecoverable loss of their loved ones. And then, to the government and people of Rivers State, I extend my sympathy to them. When somebody is dead, we are no longer talking about who is responsible,” he said.
Acting Federal Controller of Works in charge of Rivers State, Engineer Enwereama Tarilade, confirmed that the incident involved a collision between a tanker truck carrying petroleum products and a trailer driver who were competing for the right of way on a heavy traffic section of the ongoing reconstruction of the dualised 15km section of the East-West Road section III: (Eleme Junction- Onne Port in Rivers State being handled by RCC Limited. She expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident.
Meanwhile, Yamaabana, the President-General of Ogoni Youth Foundation, blamed the ongoing road rehabilitation for the inferno and threatened to drag the government and the construction company to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for negligence.