Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives is to probe the recent tanker fire incident in Onitsha, Anambra State, which led to the loss of six lives and destruction of several property.
The House mandated its Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the fire incident and report back within four weeks for further legislative actions.
The House demanded that the Federal Government establishes a fire service in Onitsha. It also mandated the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to send relief materials to victims.
The resolution of the House followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Okwudili Christopher Ezenwankwo and two others at yesterday’s plenary, on the “urgent need to look into the fire incident that took place at Upper lweka/Ochanja Market in Anambra State.”
Ezenwankwo, in his motion, bemoaned the October 16 accident involving a tanker loaded with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) which fell in Onitsha and ignited fire outbreak.
He said two days after, another tanker loaded with PMS also fell at the Enugu-Onitsha expressway and ignited another fire outbreak.
The lawmaker stated that the fire outbreak at Upper lweka/Ochanja Market claimed about six lives,while about 30 vehicles, and over 50 houses and over 500shops were razed by the fire incident. Several persons sustained various degrees of injuries.
Ezenwnkwo express worry that the fire outbreak at Upper Iweka and Ochanja Market has rendered over two thousand people homeless and jobless.
Besides, he stated that after an assessment by NEMA, no concrete steps had been taken to ameliorate the suffering of victims.
