The Senate has mandated its Committees on Petroleum Downstream, Gas Resources to investigate the remote and immediate causes of recent gas explosions in certain areas in Lagos with a view to preventing reoccurrence.
Checks revealed that gas explosions in Cele Bus Stop, Iju-Ishaga in Ifako-Ijaiye Local council area and Candos Road, Baruwa, Ipaja-Ayoba, Alimosho local government, all in Lagos West senatorial district, with attendant loss of lives and properties.
The Senate resolution was a sequel to the motion by Senator Solomon Olamilekan, on the urgent need to investigate circumstances leading to the explosions.
Presenting his motion, Senator Adeola recalled that on September 24, 2020, a massive gas explosion occurred at Cele Bus Stop, Iju-Ishaga in Ifako-Ijaiye LGA, Lagos State, causing “serious bodily injuries to no fewer than 44 persons while destroying 36 buildings including a church, an event centre and a plank market as well as destroying 26 vehicles within a radius of 300 metres of the explosion”
He further recalled, “that the explosion believed to have been caused by the burst tyre igniting a gas leak of a stuck 30 tonne Gas Tanker attempting to extricate itself from mud totally destroyed multi-billion naira properties and businesses of many citizens.”
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He disclosed that on October 10, 2020, a similar gas explosion occurred at Candos Road, Baruwa, Ipaja-Ayoba, Alimosho LGA when an LPG Tanker in process of discharging gas at a gas plant exploded from sparks of a running power generator in the plant.
The second tragic incidence, according to Senator Adeola who incidentally is the Senate representing Lagos West resulted in the death of 18 people, including a father and child with scores sustaining injuries while 25 houses and 16 lock-up shops fill with good worth millions of naira were burnt.
Senator Adeola attributed the unending gas explosion to the poor condition of most of the articulated vehicles plying public roads without requisite safety protocols.
The Senate accordingly resolved to “urge Regulatory and Licensing Authorities like the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, State Town Planning Authority, the Fire Service and the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC to review the modus operandi, safety procedures and licensing regimes of this potentially combustible business and mode of transportation of gas in Nigeria.”
While the Senate observed a Minute Silence in honour of innocent Nigerians that lost their lives in the unfortunate national tragedy, it equally resolved to write a Condolence letter to the People and Government of Lagos State and Direct NEMA and Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to immediately send relief materials to affected victims and offset medical bills of hospitalized victims.”
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