By Mohammed Abubakar Dutse
Federal government has directed the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to immediately open investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the Tuesday night petrol tanker explosion, which killed about 160 people and more than 100 people injured.
President Bola Tinubu through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF) Sen. George Akume made this known on Thursday while leading a presidential delegation to Jigawa to condole with the government and people of the state. He said the president was disturbed at the number of casualties and injured people.
He said the president has assured the government and people of the state that whoever was found wanting in carrying out their responsibility would not be spared, hoping the outcome of the investigation would go a long way in preventing the recurrence of similar not only in the state, but other part of the federation.
Also on the SGF’s entourage were the Ministers of Defence and Interior, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar and Olubunmi Ojo, Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA), Ms Zubaida Umar, representative of the Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Corps, (FRSC) Muhammed Shehu and the Senior Special Assitant to the President on Community Engagement, (Northwest), Abdullahi Tanko Yakasai.
The Chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum, (NGF) and Governor of Kwara state Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and a former govenor of Jigawa state, Dr. Sule Lamido and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin among others accompanied the delegation.
The presidential team, which visited the Rasheed Shekoni Teaching Hospital, Dutse to see some of the was briefed by the medical personnel attending to the victims. They thereafter, leftovers for Majia town the scene of the incident to have a first-hand information on the incident.
According to him, “The President decided to assemble this delegation to condole the good people and government of state over this unfortunate incident.
“So many lives have been lost and we have visited some of the survivors in the hospital. The President has directed an immediate investigation by directing the FRSC on what has happened..
“This will go a long way in addressing the incessant carnages on our roads on daily basis are getting higher. Indeed the president is saddened by the incident unfortunately and he has already directed NEMA to move into action and I’m happy NEMA has since swung into action. I can assure you that other agencies are going to follow suit.”
Akume lauded the swift action of the state government in the wake of incident, saying the president was aware of the steps so far taken by the state Governor..
According to him, “The President is a friend of Jigawa state and I know what he says about Jigawa state. The President is with you all the time and so lets look forward to how we are going to work together in future.”
The NGF Chairman said he was in Jigawa in solidarity with his Jigawa state counterpart in behalf of the remaining governors, saying, they would continue and ever ready to render every necessary support to people of the state in this time of trial.
Meanwhile, reports indicated that, the number of death had continued to increase from the incident. Vanguard learnt that more bodies were recovered from a nearby bush.
Some of the locals who spoke to Vanguard said some of the people who fled into the bush with the burns were discovered on Thursday morning dead, and one only survived with a high of burns on his body before he was conveyed to the hospital for medical attention.
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