Minister of Works, Mr Dave Umahi has cautioned drivers and other road users against the consumption of hard drugs and other substances that could make them reckless while driving.
The minister gave the advice in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital shortly after inspecting the scene of the tanker fire incident which claimed lives with over 70 vehicles burnt along the Onne section of the East-West Road in the state.
Umahi said the cause of the incident was typical of persons consuming Mkpurumiri (ice) and other hard drugs. He sympathised with the Rivers State Government and families of the victims of the explosion.
The Works Minister clarified that the accident was not caused by any failure on the side of the Federal Government or Construction Company, Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) as being peddled by some persons.
Umahi said: “Firstly, my sympathy goes to all the families of the victims for the unfortunate lost which can’t be recovered and to the government and people of Rivers State, I extend my sympathy to them.
“When somebody is dead we are no longer talking about who is right and who is wrong because life can’t be recovered. One funny person that says he’s a president of Ogoni Youth Federation or whatever he calls himself made a very careless and inciting statement.
“Yes, the bridge there that we are reconstructing, there were very large and upto 16 meters wide of diversion that we made over the past year and that’s where vehicles are following and he made a very nasty statement trying to blame the contractor, Reynolds Construction Company, and blame the Federal Government and even said he was going to the International Criminal Court”.
He added: “Now the accident was caused, as I was briefed by the carelessness of two drivers who were struggling for right of ways, they were competing with their lives and the trailer and tanker that have fuel now collided.
“I think that the road safety should mount a number of checkpoints to examine people against ‘Mkpurumiri’ (ice) and other hard drugs because it is only ‘Mkpurumiri’ and other hard drugs that can make you use your life to compete and that’s what happened.
So it’s unfortunate and I’m not even sure that they lost their lives but they caused other law abiding citizens of the country to lose their lives and a number of properties”.
The works Minister further charged road users to be law abiding and never to drink while driving to avoid accidents.
“Road users should be law abiding, if you drink don’t drive, if you drive don’t drink, this is very important and they should emulate us, we don’t drink and drive, don’t play with your life and for road safety to mount checkpoints from time to time to check especially the big trucks, their alertness and to be sure that they are drugs free,” he stated.
He expressed satisfaction with the level of job being done by the contractor, but urged them to open up sections of the road and to expedite work on the road to meet the completion time.
“Yes, the construction is going on, the contractor, RCC, they are doing well but my visit is going to ensure that they open the construction in a number of sections, that’s what they must have to do but the quality of what they are doing is quite commendable.
“Whether they are delaying or not has nothing to do with the accident, but we are asking them to open most sections of the construction and this is in line with the policy of Mr President that contractors will no longer stay beyond two years in any road project and that’s why we are making sure that happens here,” the minister said.
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
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