It is not clear if this effort still merits it after what appears to be a miracle in averting the looming disaster. But if only for record purposes, it must be mentioned how an avoidable tragedy could have been allowed to happen only to be prescribing some kind of medicine after mass deaths.
Until a fortnight ago, the disaster was imminent any minute or second. Indeed, this disaster was only waiting to be sparked. What happened? God's grace induced the governments (Federal and Ogun State) concerned or the recent strike by tanker drivers which forced them to drive away their vehicles to be dumped at their various employers' depots? Whichever, at least for the moment, travellers on Lagos-Ibadan expressway can now feel some relief.
Some 15 or 20 kilometres from Isheri Lagos/Ogun states border on Lagos-Ibadan expressway or the same distance to Ogun/Lagos states' Isheri border from Ibadan are otherwise two sleepy rural settlements known as Ibafo-Mowe.

The sleepy nature of these two settlements remained undisturbed until some years ago.
Lagos, Nigeria's ever congesting commercial centre was partially paralysed along the key area of Ijora to Apapa by the nuisance and danger to oil depots which tankers posed. On a number of occasions, a special task force of Lagos State government engaged the tanker drivers physically in efforts to clear Ijora-Apapa for smooth traffic.

Some of the measures, very unpalatable, forced the tanker drivers, in protest, to go on strike, which, as usual, disrupted the economy. At the end, it was mutually agreed that the oil tankers should move away from Apapa-Ijora, Lagos.
For some unknown reasons, Mowe-Ibafo in Ogun State on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway was found most suitable as an alternative park for the oil tankers. The magnitude of the danger inherent in that relocation of the petrol tankers was best illustrated by the regular traffic halt on the expressway with attendant health hazards like fatal blood clot of some passengers.

If the disaster which has just been averted in Ogun State had eventually occurred, three governments in Nigeria would have attracted public attention and indeed criticisms. First was Lagos State government which drove away the tanker drivers.
The new location of the tanker drivers, Mowe-Ibafo, is in Ogun State. Was the consent of Ogun State government obtained? If not, why? Was it proper to secure the economy and lives of residents of Lagos (Apapa-Ijora) only to endanger the lives and property of the residents and inter-state traffic commuters of neighbouring Ogun State?

If Ogun State government consented to the relocation of the tanker drivers to Ibafo-Mowe, did (Ogun) government realise the danger to which it exposed its people? It is therefore a relief that whichever was the case, the same Ogun State government has cleared the tanker drivers from Mowe-Ibafo.
The third aspect is that the Lagos-Ibadan expressway (along which Mowe and Ibafo lie) is a federal highway, the construction of which no state government has any control or power or indeed the wisdom to stop. In short, even though Mowe and Ibafo are in Ogun State, that portion of Lagos-Ibadan expressway on which the petrol tanker drivers were parking is legally and constitutionally Federal Government property.

What was the disaster looming? When Lagos-Ibadan expressway (was) opened to traffic in the early 80s, no provision was made for the parking of petrol tankers on sideways. Today, everything, has aggregated to make disaster possible some time some day.
Traffic exit from Lagos to other parts of the country is an example. Up to Mowe-Ibafo, there are two tarred lanes. What could have been earmarked as service lanes on either side of the two tarred lanes from Lagos to Ibadan has been converted unlawfully to stationary parking depots by some 200 tanker drivers in a straight line and sometimes double parking.

The contents of these tankers? Fully loaded every brand of petroleum products. Petrol, diesel, kerosine, gas, each of which is highly inflammable. Consequently, regular motor-traffic out of Lagos is hemmed in on the two tarred lanes in mini-darkness caused by oil tankers blocking rays of sunshine in the day and moonlight at night.

This gory picture is even more imposing on the return journey from Ibadan to Lagos. At Mowe-Ibafo section of the expressway, It is even worse. Virtually everyday or at least most times of the week, there was always the nuisance of total traffic halt caused by even what God does not know.
Sometimes in the past, travelers in public and private vehicles had to spend 10 to 14 hours on either side of that section of the expressway. Meanwhile, bunkering goes on under the oil tankers without the least care for the danger posed to those trapped in the hours-long traffic halt.
Meanwhile, as bunkering goes on under the tankers, tanker drivers also make fire for cooking their food, or keeping warm at night or driving off mosquitoes. May be the drivers are just being human or ingenuous but clearly, they are disaster bent.

At that time, the whole place could be up in flames from just one bonefire or smoking light by any driver or passenger nearby. Under scorching heat, any of the tankers could blast. It needs only such blast with sprinkles of petroleum products forward and backward to blast any of the parked stationary tankers. Sprinkles of inflamed petroleum products sideways would roast innocent residents engaged in everyday economic survival as street traders, tailors, vulcanisers, pure water/soft drink sellers etc.

While the disaster loomed in Ogun State along Lagos-Ibadan expressway, who were the potential victims? Anybody around that stretch of road, whatever his status in society was a potential victim. Considering the speed in which flame from petroleum products spread, even free flow of traffic might not have saved anybody. It would even be worse in a traffic jam, because once trapped, there would be no forward movement or opportunity to reverse for any vehicle. What, with our penchant for confusion and stampede in such a situation.

What could have been the fate of the Pentecostal faithfuls were the disaster to commence on one of their days of thronging the Lagos-Ibadan expressway? Should any state governor from South-West be visiting or leaving Lagos in a convoy, could anyone imagine such a tragedy?
The possibility of such disaster has now been doused, at least for now with the driving away of the tanker drivers at Mowe-Ibafo section of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. The ease with which the tanker drivers were sent packing vividly shows how anybody or any group takes the law into his or its hands. Furthermore, the chances were that there was no official consent for the tanker drivers to be parking along about the most important expressway in the country. But how were these tanker drivers allowed to endanger lives of traveling public for so long?

Since the tanker drivers have been driven away, that portion of Lagos-Ibadan expressway now looks like what it should be, with free flow of traffic and clear vision for private vehicle and public transport drivers day and night.
The Federal Government as owners of expressways and Ogun State government with its major responsibility for the safety of lives and property of its citizens must both ensure that clearing the tanker drivers from Lagos-Ibadan expressway remains permanent. Otherwise, very soon, the same tanker drivers will be back on the same spot on Lagos-Ibadan expressway with the attendant inevitable risk of a major fire disaster waiting to happen.

•Postscript: All work? No. There is time for play. The next eight weeks on holidays is just about deserving. Till then.