Lokoja Tanker Disaster: PDP Shocked, Laments Disaster, Mourns Victims

Press Statement

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is shocked and deeply grieved by the

devastating petrol tanker accident that claimed the lives of no fewer

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than 25 compatriots including a whole family, students and school

children in an inferno in Felele area of Lokoja, the Kogi state capital.

Our party is extremely distressed by this horrid and traumatizing

incident, which, in a very painful manner, cut short the lives of

hardworking compatriots, brought instant anguish to families and painful

material losses to many.

It is even more disturbing that the fire raged without any intervention

by authorities, which would have helped mitigated the effect.

Indeed, the absence of fire and other emergency facilities around the

area, despite the frequent occurrence of such accidents in the past

signposts the failure and insensitivity of both the Federal and Kogi

state governments towards the dangers that daily confront the people.

Also, the major theatre of medical intervention in the state, the

Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja, had been under locks over a

needless controversy on COVID-19.

The recklessness of the state government has also increased the

fatalities of the number of victims affected in the ugly incident.

Furthermore, our party is shocked by the response of the Kogi state

Deputy Governor, Edward Onoja, who, instead of assuring of a definite

step to safeguard the lives of the people in the area, dwelt on lame

excuses, when he visited the scene of the accident.

The PDP demands the Federal Government to put instant traffic measures

to forestall such accidents as well as immediately establish emergency

facilities in the area.

Our party also calls on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of

Works and Housing, Babatunde Fasola, to leave the comfort of their

offices in Abuja and immediately visit the area as well as undertake a

tour of our highways to witness the sorry state of infrastructure across

our country, under their administration.

Indeed, the PDP mourns. Our thoughts and prayers go to the families of

the victims of this accident as well as others who have perished in

various road accidents due to the horrible state of our roads.

The PDP commiserates with the families of the victims, the Kogi State

Polytechnic, parents of the school children as well as the entire people

of Kogi state.

Our party prays God to grant the bereaved families the fortitude to bear

their grief as well as speedy recovery for the wounded.

Signed:

Kola Ologbondiyan

National Publicity Secretary