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SEA Blames Tanker Explosions On Obsolete Law

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5 years ago

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The Society of Energy Administrators (SEA) says the existing laws on safety standard enforcement in Nigeria are obsolete and cannot punish offenders.
SEA President, Dr Yekeen Adeboye, told The Tide source in Lagos that this had led to the neglect of ethical, professional and occupational standards in all industries, including oil and gas.
He attributed the recklessness by various industries, causing avoidable explosions and other disasters to the outdated laws.
According to him, risk management mechanisms are supposed to be incorporated into project designs, facility management and operations of all industries.
Adeboye added that lack of enforceable laws was responsible for the rising spate of avoidable petroleum and gas tanker fires in the country.
He said that energy plays a vital role in the economic and social development of nations because the sector cuts across infrastructure, transportation, power among others and “must be regulated’’.
He said that SEA was inaugurated in Nigeria in May and was already adopting measures to ensure the nation gets a template for enforcement of Quality, Health, Safety and Environment (QHSE) risk management.
SEA, he said, was collaborating with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and that the society was proposing some laws to stem the ugly trends of tanker explosions and other industries recklessness and negligence.
Adeboye, a petrochemical engineer and accredited environment management consultant, said the lack of QHSE in project designs and facility management had bedevilled Nigeria with disasters such as building collapse, petroleum tanker explosions, cancer and pollution.
He said that project designers and operators in Nigeria must include maintenance plans into projects for human, equipment and environmental safety to avert disaster.
The SEA chief said that various tanker fires could have been averted with QHSE risk management to ensure the use of technological safety gadgets to prevent gas and petroleum leakages.
Adeboye added that training of tanker drivers on the use of safety gadgets to prevent leaks was also important and was all incorporated in the QHSE.
He said that SEA was also collaborating with federal and state governments as well as various professional bodies to regulate all fields to ensure the safety of lives, property and the environment.
“We don’t have a law now for QHSE risk management in Nigeria.
“It is only the multinational companies that have that policy and the policy they are using is the one they brought from their home countries.
“We do not have local laws and that is why we have to submit that proposal to the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to develop QHSE risk management plan for all the service managers in Nigeria.
“Once the SON establishes the standard for us, then we will take it to the National Assembly for an enabling law,” he added.

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Firefighters battle New Year Day inferno in Abuja, several states

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6 days ago

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January 2, 2026

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Federal Fire Service FFS entered the New Year on full operational alert, tackling multiple fire outbreaks across the country from midnight into the early hours of January 1, 2026, in what officials described as one of the busiest festive-season deployments in recent years.
The intensified nationwide response followed a December 2025 directive issued by the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, who had ordered that no firefighter should proceed on leave throughout the holidays.
According to a statement by the National Public Relations Officer and Head of Corporate Services of the FFS, DCF Paul Abraham, the no-leave policy proved critical as the Service moved swiftly to contain fires in several states.
The Federal Capital Territory FCT recorded its first fire incident of the year barely twenty-three minutes after midnight when flames erupted at Cake Hot Restaurant located within River Plate Park, Wuse, Abuja.
Abraham said fire crews from the Federal Fire Service and the FCT Fire Service arrived promptly and were able to stop the blaze before it could spread through the popular recreational centre.
While a section of the garden area was destroyed, no lives were lost and no injuries were recorded.
Officials said property worth an estimated ?1.5 billion was saved, although losses were placed at about ?500 million.
“Preliminary findings suggested that the fire was triggered by objects thrown during New Year celebrations, reinforcing long-standing warnings over the dangers posed by fireworks during the harmattan season”, the Service said.
The Controller General had repeatedly urged Nigerians to avoid fireworks, candles and open flames indoors, warning that the dry winds characteristic of the season allow fires to spread rapidly.
He also warned the public about electrical faults and power surges and advised that electrical appliances be switched off and unplugged when not in use or when occupants leave their homes, stressing that overloading sockets and extension boxes remains a significant cause of domestic fires.
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Enugu North LG chairman presents ?10.8bn 2026 Budget, prioritises roads …Security, Healthcare, Human Capital Development

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6 days ago

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January 2, 2026

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Chairman of Enugu North Local Government Area in Enugu State, Dr. Ibenaku Harford Onoh, has presented a Ten Billion Eight Hundred Million Naira (?10.8bn) 2026 budget to the legislative council of the local government.
The budget, tagged “Budget of Continued Growth and Consolidation,” was presented on Wednesday during a plenary session attended by councillors, department heads, and other stakeholders.
Dr. Onoh explained that the 2026 budget is designed to consolidate achievements recorded in 2025 while scaling up development across the council’s 13 wards. Priority areas include road infrastructure, grassroots security, healthcare delivery, youth empowerment, and digital governance.
He also reviewed the 2025 budget performance, highlighting significant revenue growth and successful completion of key projects. Notably, the council’s internally generated revenue more than doubled, attributed to the introduction of digital revenue collection platforms and other innovative measures.
Among the 2025 achievements, Dr. Onoh mentioned the reconstruction of major roads at European Quarters, Hilltop, Coal Camp, and Ukwa Street, Ihewuishi, as well as the upgrade of the local security architecture through the reorganisation of the neighbourhood watch into “The City Watch.”
On the 2026 budget, the chairman stated that projected revenue would come from statutory allocations, VAT, internally generated revenue, and counterpart funding through public-private partnerships.
He noted that capital expenditure would take the larger share of the budget, with over half allocated to the economic sector. Planned projects include:
Completion of transport terminals at Aria Market
Construction and reconstruction of urban roads
Establishment of two sports centres
Healthcare interventions
Youth skills development programmes.
Dr. Onoh emphasised that the projects, policies, and programmes outlined in the budget are aimed at complementing the initiatives of Governor Peter Ndubisi Mbah, who is setting standards for local government councils to follow.
Responding, the Leader of the Legislative Council, Rt. Hon. Chizoba Nnamani, said the budget would be carefully scrutinised in the interest of residents before its passage.
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Christians Convert To Islam or die As ISWAP burns down Christian village

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6 days ago

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January 2, 2026

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Christians in Adamawa have been asked to Convert to Islam or die as commanded by the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP).
.The ISWAP forcedly burnt down Christian village in Adamawa Nigeria as reported on January 1, 2026.
The Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, has continued to wreak havoc on Christian communities in the Northeast, Nigeria.
This comes as ISWAP burned down a Christian village in Adamawa State.
A security expert, Brant Philip, disclosed this on Thursday in a viral video released by the terrorists.
“ISWAP released an image of one of the Christian villages in Adamawa State burning, alongside a statement saying that all Christians in Nigeria are legitimate targets, and they have an opportunity to “spare their blood” by converting to Islam or paying the jizyah tax to ISWAP,” Brant Philip wrote on X.
The move is perceived as retaliation for recent joint airstrikes by the Nigerian and United States military against a terrorist enclave in Sokoto, Nigeria.
Recall that five days ago, United States President Donald Trump announced that the US military launched airstrikes against terrorists in Sokoto State.
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