Pandemonium AsTanker Falls At Bundu Ama, PH

There was pandemonium as residents, workers and drivers ran
for their dear lives at Reclamation Road now Ada Williams Road, Bundu Ama, Port
Harcourt last Thursday as a petroleum tanker with products fell and blocked the
road.

The Tide correspondent who visited the scene of the incident
observed that the Mack Truck with registration number XB 261 KEK fell on
another tanker and spilled some of its products on the road, thereby causing
panic among people residing and doing business in the area.

In order to avoid reoccurrence of the recent Okogbe
incident, that killed scores of people in Ahoada West Local Government Area,
the police drafted to the area cordoned off the area to prevent people from
scooping the spilled fuel while the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) fire service
was on hand to spray foam-water to blanket the little drops on the road.

Speaking with The Tide correspondent, the chairman of Bundu
Ama Community, Comrade Ada Williams said the accident was caused by the
deplorable condition of the road as several efforts made by the people of the
community in attracting government attention proved abortives Williams said
with numerous companies and inhabitants paying tax to the government, the
community deserved provision of social amenities like a good road network. He
expressed dismay that such infrastructure were not forthcoming, causing a lot
of road accidents in the area.

According to him, temporary measures taken could not contain
the pressure from the heavy duty trucks plying the road. He, therefore, called
on the government to urgently come to the aid of the people before the state
could experience another Okogbe tanker fire saga in the area.

If not for God’s mercy, had the tanker that fell burst into
flames, what would be the fate of the entire people”, he said. He described the
road as a death trap, and appealed to the authorities to see the reconstruction
of the road as a priority since other roads in the state were being
rehabilitated.

In his contribution, the youth president of Amango Polo in
Bundu Ama, Mr Horsefall Igah said the incident had affected economic activities
in the community and also appealed to the government to come to their rescue.

John Osaboye, a tanker driver who could not move out after
loading his truck with PMS at Conoil loading depot said he was scheduled to be
in Benin since loading his truck but could not because of the accident and
called on the government to rehabilitate the road for easy movement of drivers
loading petroleum products in the area.

A petty trader and resident of the area, Mrs Nnena Onuoha
also noted with dismay that the deplorable condition of the road had been a
great problem to them and called for serious attention by the Rivers State
Government to make them feel the dividends of democracy.

Collins Barasimeye