The Rivers State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN has described the petrol tanker fire incident that engulfed the Okogbe Community in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State in the early hours of Thursday, July 12, 2012 as one too many.
The party in a statement issued and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Jerry Needam regrets that under three months the State has lost several human and material resources to avoidable fire disasters, the preceding incident claiming over six lives including a pregnant woman and her entire family and property worth millions of naira along the New Airport Road, Igwuruta in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
According to Jerry Needam, weeping and wailing cannot resurrect the dead but to have a re-think on how the resources of the State are mis-managed which is responsible for the bad roads and abject poverty in the land.
The ACN Spokesman insists that if those at the helm of affairs at the Federal, State and Local Government levels have the interest of the masses at heart and are committed in rendering selfless services to the people, this kind of misfortune will be minimal.
Besides loss of lives through accidents, Jerry Needam said, the East/West Road in recent times has become a haven of sort, for armed robbers and kidnappers.
He therefore called for the immediate rehabilitation of the roads, provision of fire fighting services at the Council areas and 24 hour surveillance of such important busy border areas by security agents to checkmate such disasters etc.
The party prayed God for the repose of the souls of the departed and the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
The party also called for a day prayer for those who lost their lives in the unfortunate fire incident.
Jerry Needam   Â
Publicity Secretary
ACN, Rivers State
