TANKER EXPLOSION: CILT Nigeria Says 90% Of Vehicles Laden With PMS Not Road Worthy

 

By Roland Ekama

 

The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria has raised concerns over the incessant tanker explosion rocking major highways in the country , suggesting for the federal government enforce stiffer penalties in reducing the menace.

CILT Nigeria also disclosed that over 90% of tankers plying Nigerian roads are over 30 years age limit , lamenting that those vehicles do not have the capacity to transport petroleum products for a long distance .

Speaking on Saturday via a zoom meeting as put together by the Lagos Branch ,CILT, Nigeria , former Chief Executive Officer/Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi who is a fellow of institute expressed worries over the high number of tankers that are not road worthy, even as he decried the poor loading capacity of such vehicles.

He stated that most the tankers load products above the stipulated capacity,saying that instead of 44,000 litres of PMS, the drivers are allegedly compelled to convey 99,000 litres which in turn exposed the vehicles to danger.

The former Corps Marshal further stated that articulated training institutions for tanker drivers are lacking in Nigeria , lamenting that the norm in Nigeria is that most of the motor boys graduate to becoming drivers.

According to him,Dangote Group is the only company in Nigeria with articulated training institution for drivers ,which he said is not encouraging for the money spinning sector like that of oil and gas.

Apparently unsatisfactory with the development,Boboye called on the federal government to reintroduce way bridges and revitalize pipelines mode of transportation of petroleum products.

He added that the railway lines can further reduce tanker explosion on the Nigeria roads,while considering the high volume products both pipelines and rails can move against the backdrop of the roads.

Earlier ,Dr. Ezinneka Eunice Okodudu , a fellow of Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) and lecturer , Geography Department University of Port Harcourt , maintained that the Federal Government needs to enforce stricter policies to curb the recurring tanker explosion incident in the nation.

According to her, tanker owners and companies prioritize profit over safety

Okodudu said the highways have become deadly due to frequent tanker accidents, and the crisis of these tanker accidents have led to explosions, fires, environmental contamination and loss of lives.

Speaking on the topic ” Recurrent Tanker Explosions: CILT Nigeria Perspectives and Options”, the Lecturer pointed out that even when the laid down regulations are being followed, the statistical overview shows that hundreds of tanker accidents are recorded annually.

She said in developed nations like the US, UK, and Canada, they have strict laws and agencies, advanced road infrastructure and emergency response, mandatory vehicle inspection and driver certification, likewise some African countries like South Africa and Kenya that have better enforcement, specialized tanker driving training and lower accident rates.

She affirmed that the causes of tanker explosions include: tanker accidents which result from infrastructure delays, human errors, weak regulations, corporate negligence, poor road infrastructure where we have dilapidated highways and lack of safety measures.

She added that key roads, like Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Lokoja, Benin-Ore, and East-West roads are major locations where these incidents happen.

On her part , President of CILT Nigeria, Mrs Mfon Usoro noted that the topic was necessitated by the scary nature of tankers explosion in the country,adding that the discussion was aimed to interrogate the issue and how to proffer lasting solutions to the anomalies.