The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has urged tanker drivers and other motorists to strictly adhere to safety regulations to prevent petroleum tanker accidents and other road accidents.
The Director General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, made the plea on Friday in Abakaliki, at a one-day sensitisation to tanker fire and fire prevention for motorists and other stakeholders.
The sensitisation, organised by NEMA to prevent tanker fire and explosion accidents, as well as road fire outbreaks, was conducted in collaboration with the Ebonyi State Emergency Management Agency (EBSEMA) and other key stakeholders.
Umar, who was represented by the Head of Operations, NEMA Enugu Zone, Mrs Ngozi Echeazu, stated that the alarming rate of tanker explosion accidents and fire outbreaks necessitated a collaborative effort to improve safety measures.
She noted that the number of fatalities in tanker-related accidents is high, especially the recent one on the Ugwu-Onyeama axis of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway on January 25.
The NEMA boss urged the general public to avoid fuel scooping from accident scenes.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of EBSEMA, Mr Clement Ovuoba, stated that NEMA, in collaboration with EBSEMA, initiated a campaign to educate and inform stakeholders about the risks associated with petrol tanker transportation.
Ovuoba stated that NEMA directed the exercise to be conducted across states, focusing on mitigating potential disasters. He added that participants at the event included tanker drivers.
