RSHA And Menace Of Tanker Drivers

For the Rivers State House of Assembly, curtailing the excesses of tanker drivers operating along the Akpajo-Eleme section of the East/West road, and Port Harcourt Refinery axis has become an “emergency”.

The attention of the assembly was recently drawn to the activities of the tanker drivers, following a joint motion sponsored by the House Whip, Hon Ikunyi Igbani, and another member, Hon Beleme Okpokiri, representing Okrika constituency.

The motion which received the overwhelming support of members of the Assembly, sought to put a check over the operations of tanker drivers, especially the indiscriminate parking of heavy trucks and tankers on major parts of the affected route.

Presenting his motion, Hon Okpokiri said “the refinery road which is the only access road connecting the people of Okrika to other parts of the state has become a lawless zone and a death trap”.

He said many Okirika indigenes have lost their lives on the road because of the nuisance posed by the tanker drivers.

Hon Okpokiri also attributed the indiscriminate parking of tankers on the road to the negligence of the management of the Nigeria Petroleum Refinery Corporation (NPRC) in Alesa. He recalled that eight years ago, the company acquired land for the purpose of constructing a park for the tankers but up till now the project remains a pipe dream. Hon Okpokiri called for a probe of companies’ indifference to the project, which had caused untold hardships to the road users.

Apart from the refinery axis, the Akpajo-Eleme-Onne section of the East/West road has become hellish for road users, especially people from the Rivers South East Senatorial district who use the road regularly to access their various communities. The parking of heavy trucks and tankers on both sides of the road obstructs free traffic flows, making a journey of one hour to take about eight hours.

As the only route that services the two federal terminals, Petrochemical complex, Port Harcourt Refinery and myriads of multinational companies, including the free zone authority at Onne, the road is overstretched. Heavy vehicles predominantly ply the route, some of which break down on the road and cause traffic obstruction and accidents.

Alerted by the hardship caused to road users, the joint prayers of Hon Igbanic and Hon Okpokiri got the nod of the Assembly. The House resolved that the Rivers State Ministry of Transport, through its relevant agencies should commence the evacuation of all broken down and abandoned vehicles on the road, including all tankers parked indiscriminately. The Management of Nigeria Petroleum Refinery Corporation (NPRC) and tanker drivers association was also summoned to meet with the Speaker of the Assembly Hon Otelemaba Amachree. The House also resolved that the Rivers State Ministry of Works should liaise with the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA, to carry out proper remedial work on the affected road.

Although the said road is unarguably a federal road, the house reasoned that the complementary role of the state government in fixing the road will help to ease the burden of the road users.

Reports indicate that 80 per cent of the accidents and carnages on Nigerian roads are caused by tanker drivers.

A recent survey on road accidents in Nigeria conducted by the Arrive Alive Road Safety Initiative, (AARSI), a non governmental organization reveals that most cases of road accidents in the country were caused by tanker drivers.

According to reports most of the accidents were caused by “poor visibility, reckless driving wrong parking, or sheer disregard or defiance of traffic rules”.

Speaking with The Tide shortly after flagging off a truck safety campaign at Onne, Rivers State Executive Secretary of AARSI, Ike Okonkwo, decried the growing spate of accidents on our roads, mostly at the instance of tanker drivers.

Okonkwo said, “2011 had been declared by the United Nations as a year of action against road accident”. He said most cases of accidents on our roads would have been avoided if simple traffic rules were observed, and emphasized the need for road safety awareness campaign especially during the ember months when the highest cases of road accidents are recorded.

He added that “tanker drivers should take up the task of making our roads accident free, a moral responsibility”.

A motorist, Mr Godwin Esukpa, who spoke with our correspondent, was explicit in his condemnation of the activities of tanker drivers. An enraged Esukpa who claimed his vehicle was once smashed by a “reckless” tanker driver commended the Rivers State House of Assembly over its efforts at checking the activities of the tanker drivers.

According to him, “they (tanker drivers) operate like outlaws, imposing themselves on everybody, they don’t obey traffic rules they park their vehicles on the road, and cause accidents and death. They have no regard for anybody, they are agents of death”.

A respondent, Mr Fabian Abere described the move by the assembly as “timely” and called on the “lawmakers to ensure that the management of NPRC, construct a proper parking space for the tankers which are serviced by the refinery”.

Members of the tanker drivers association have also refused to budge over public outcry against their activities. They detest the idea of being stigmatized as “agents of death” and they are also not happy bearing the brunt of the carnages on the roads. The common views of members of the association was reflected by one of their leaders, Mr Ndubusi Agubana, who spoke with out correspondent.

Mr Agubana who is Chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers, said tanker drivers are often misunderstood by the public who treat them with resentment. He said, “Tanker drivers are like every other law-abiding citizen and deserves to be treated fairly.

The union leader also debunked the concept that most accidents on the highways are caused by tanker drivers. According to him, “most of the accidents on the roads are as a result of bad road, and poor traffic regulation.

Agubana, who claimed to have been a tanker driver for over 25 years, said, “Tanker Drivers render essential services to the society but they are often scorned as a reward”.

On the need to have a tanker park at the refinery, he said the union was making effort to ensure that a better parking lot is constructed by the NPRC.

Efforts to get the views of the NPRC management were marred by strict security measures, as our correspondent was severally denied entrance to the companies by security operatives.

There are also fears that if the matter is not properly resolved, it may lead to a strike action by the tanker drivers, which are said to have a common measure of protest over perceived public humiliation.

However, the outcome of the meeting of the management of NPRC, and tanker drivers union, with the State House of Assembly will determine the extent to which regulations of the activities of tanker drivers will go.

Beemene Taneh