Following the tanker explosion at the Eleme axis of the East-West Road on Friday night, the National Youth Council of Ogoni People, NYCOP, the apex umbrella body of all Ogoni youths in Nigeria and the Diaspora has threatened to shut down production at Indorama through a mass protest. The tanker explosion claimed the lives of commuters and vehicles along the road.
The incident happened near Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals and the Aleto Bridge area of the East-West Road. An explosion from a tanker that leaked petrol burned to death numerous commuters who were trapped in their vehicles because of a heavy traffic jam on the East-West road. The road is currently undergoing reconstruction by the federal government in front of the Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals gate.
Eyewitnesses said the petrol tanker crashed into another truck said to belong to Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals and loaded with another type of product. The crash, they revealed, sparked the explosion.
NYCOP President, Comr. Raymond Marcus Nwibani, who visited the scene of the accident on Saturday morning, condoled with bereaved families and the Rivers State government. He described the incident as a disaster of unimaginable magnitude.
The NYCOP president took a swipe at Indorama Petrochemicals for allowing their trucks to be parked along the road, which he said has resulted in the unquantifiable disaster that has consumed innocent people who went out to look for their daily bread.
He warned the management of INDORAMA Petrochemical to desist from parking their heavy-duty trucks on the East-West r road else Ogoni youths would shut down their operations.
The president also blamed Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) (Nigeria) Ltd., which is handling the construction of the East-West road, for the slow pace of work and not properly diverting traffic as the construction workers are working. The NYCOP President called on the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government to urgently call the company to order.
He further stated that in the coming days, NYCOP will be interacting with the management of both RCC and INDORAMA Petrochemical to address and find lasting solutions to the way and manner their drivers always make that section of the road inaccessible because of their reckless driving and improper parking along the only access route to Ogoniland.
The NYCOP President commended Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, for his prompt response and for ordering a full-scale investigation into the incident that happened. He described Governor Fubara as a compassionate governor for his on-the-spot visit to the scene and not sitting in the comfort of his office to send his aides.
