DISASTER IN ONITSHA

THE Commercial City of Onitsha were yesterday night thrown into fear following Tanker explosion fire incident that burnt down Mobil Filling Station Opposite Dennis Memorial Grammar School, DMGS, Onitsha, razed two other filing stations in line and burnt down about fifteen residential buildings and over thirty vehicle parked on different locations of Oguta and Upper New Roads Onitsha.

According to our investigation, the fire incidents started about 8 pm in the night as a petrol tanker descending from Awka road in Onitsha fail brake and landed inside Mobil filling Station where it explode and burnt down the petrol station together with about fifteen residential building, cars and other two filling stations close by.

Also about eight trickles also parked on different locations of the two roads were also burnt beyond recognition, while over ten shops affected were gutted by the raging fire that affected them through fuel that spread from the gutters to the shops

According to Bishop Nwokolo who described the incident as a great loss that came especially now people are going through recession, people are going through hardship, for people to lose their property this time is difficult to accept and something to be sad about.

“We call on the government and the emergency services and all well meaning Nigerians to come to the help of the affected people, is not just telling them sorry, they need to recover a bit of what they have lost, that is how to show true love and concern.

Filling stations should be sited where there is no residential buildings, the government must do something about that, we expect the government and its various agencies to ensure that proper planning is done so that things that can harm people should not be sited near residential areas.

The Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano who arrived the scene of the fire incidents at about 2pm in the afternoon sympathize with the victims of the explosion. He said to have left the Governor forum meeting he has in Enugu to see for himself the extent damage done by the inferno.

Obiano said that the state will consider relocating all the filling station affected and those located within the residential areas.

“As you can see Onitsha is developing, this Mobil Filling Station as a young man I saw them here, some of them have stayed here for over 50 years, I know that Anyika Family was managing this one those days, they were built when nobody was living here but people started building around them, and now people are living near them we will provide land for their owners to relocate so that the lives of the people will not be in danger.

“I am going to set up a committee that will look into the actual people that were affected, headed by the Obi of Onitsha and we will ensure that they are relocated to nearby places here and the state will pay for their house rent even if it is for one year, for them to get back to their feet’s.

“Very soon, the equipment that point and test high speed in vehicles will arrive so I am using this opportunity to direct the Federal Road Safety Corps to seize any heavy duty vehicle coming into Anambra state with bad tires, and those with high speed, detain the driver for at least one day and so that they know that we are serious about safeguarding our people, and we are going to put barriers in our three flyovers in the state to stop them from falling and blocking our roads.”

Governor Obiano said that the state on the same Wednesday recorded about five fire incidents thought they were minor except this Onitsha that was devastating, they were recorded in two places at Awka, one near UNIZIK, and the other at Okpuno, St Michaels Nimo, Ugwu Akpati Nnewi, and this one in Onitsha. He thanked God that no life was lost in all the fire outbreak except those that were displaced.

He thanked the Delta State Governor and the men of the Delta State fire service for their quick arrival and assistance during the fire incident.

Furthermore, a Peoples Democratic Party, chieftain in the State and Governorship aspirant in the party Dr Alex Obiogbolu has blamed the Anambra State government and the state House of Assembly for not budgeting any dime for the State Fire Service, when over N300 million was budgeted for purchasing of cars for the state legislatures.

“I am sad and bitter, am angry with my sister who represents this constituency when she says this matters should not be used to play politics, what is politics, how can a whole state not have functional Fire Service Station, why must we always rely on delta State Fire Service men that always come from Asaba to rescue Anambra people and their property anytime we have fire outbreak.

“Is Asaba Fire Service station that is always responding to our calls not under a government, why are they always ready to go when there is fire outbreak here when none of the ones in Anambra state is functioning, our government must sit up, we cannot be talking about roads alone, there are a lot of things that are neglected.

Mr. Ikenna Unachukwu who owns no. 90 Upper New Market Road a storey with pent house, housing Ben Cash Electronics where electronic items worth hundreds of millions were burnt to ashes thanked God that no life was loss in the incident and called for assistance for the victims from the Anambra state Governor.

The Anambra state Commissioner of Police Mr. Sam Okaula, who was represented by the Police Public Relations Officer, Nkiru Nwode, said warned miscreants to stop cashing in on fire incidences and other unfortunate situations to rob people of their properties.

The Commander, 302 Artillery Regiment, Col Idiongisit Akpan, Commander Onitsha Naval Outpost Captin Mohammed Dahiru, Sector Commander Federal Road Safety Corps Anambra state, Mr. Sunday Ajayi, NDLEA Commander, Mr Sule Momodu, Onitsha Police Area Commander Mr.Yahaya Abubakar were all at the scene of the incident