“At least 28 people were burned to death in Lagos on Tuesday when a pipeline caught fire while local residents were scooping fuel from it, the secretary general of the Nigerian Red Cross Society said on Wednesday.” The BBC has the details.
December is now synonymous with pipeline fires – the last one in Lagos was December on 26, 2006.
There were two major pipeline-related fires last year – in May and December. The post-accident statements from the authorities were the same as stated on this blog then:
May: “The incident in May prompted the Nigerian president to order security services to uncover the cause of the deadly blast”.
December: “Nigeria’s government has promised measures to avoid future disasters…The government is encouraging the establishment of more refineries… so there will be less incentive for people to try to profiteer from the sale of petroleum products, blah, blah, blahâ€, was the quote credited to the then Nigerian information minister. The BBC caption was “Nigeria vows to curb oil blazes”
Empty policy statements, greed, and complacence rule the day in Nigeria! “Na so life be for Nigeria!’
But life is not supposed to be so for Nigeria for we are talking of constant deaths of HUMAN BEINGS! If this is not looked into and possibly curtailed the next tragedy (which is begging to happen) could be devastating. Nigeria vows and vows but how many of these vows have been met? Sometimes it could be so frustrating as we ordinary citizens are so helpless and can only write and talk but not make things happen (for we are not in charge). SO SO SAD (ANOTHER SSS)!
December 26, 2007 at 1:27 pm