The Federal Government has promised to assist the Anambra State Government in taking care of the victims of the Sunday petrol tanker accident at Asaba Park Upper Iweka that claimed the lives of seventy Nigerians.
This was disclosed by the Vice President Prof. Yemi Osibanjo at Asaba Park Upper Iweka Onitsha when he visited Anambra state on the instruction of the President Muhammadu Buhri, whom he said was unavoidably out of the country to commeserate with the Governor and people of the state.
“The Federal Government will look for areas of cooperation and necessary where it can assist the state to take care of the victims and other things that will footstall such future occurrences, it is a clearer way of identifying with the people” he said.
The Vice President first visited Toronto Hospital Onitsha, where the Chief Medical Directo,r Prince Dr Emeka Eze took him round to see the victims who were admitted in the hospita,l before proceeding on foot with him, the Governor of the State Chief Willie Obiano, and Senator Chris Ngige to the scene of the incident.
Prof. Osibanjo further stated that “the President would have loved to come by himself but for his visit to some neighbouring countries who are cooperating with Nigeria to fight the Boko Haram insurgents”.
“I am here to commiserate with the Governor of the State Chief Willie Obiano and the people of Anambra State, it is not enough issuing a press statement consoling the state and families of the victims, but the President felt it is necessary that we visit the state to assess the level of the incident, this is a proper direction we should go, to tell the people that every Nigerian is important citizen of the country” he said.
The Vice President said that the President is greatly disturbed on the very sad and tragic incident, he extends his condolence, “I have been taken round and I have seen the heroic effort of the hospital and doctors who have responded very quickly and very eagerly and of course the state emergency operation and also the quick response to incident by the authorities of the hospital.
“We are happy that the state Government has taken the responsibility of footing the bills, it is also a direction every responsible should take, and the direction our country should go, where every Nigerian citizen matters no matter who he is and where he is, so long as you are a Nigerian citizen, you are important, and we will go to any extent to ensure that this is done at all times” he said.
He said that their government “will ensure that when such a tragedy occurs we will try to be there and ensure how we can ameliorate the situation, so that is why I am here
Governor of the state Chief Obiano told the Vice president due to the accident the state has banned tankers and other heavy duty vehicles in the day time and on Anambras roads, saying, that it will reduce such carnage.
“We have in addition banned heavy duty trucks that carry iron rod and cement to destroy bthe state roads heavy, they will not be allowed to ply state roads, purely because the state roads are not done in the same quality that the Federal roads are done, and each time they ply the roads they cause us more trouble, and a lot of repair works, they have to transship to be able to get to their destinations.
Dr Emeka Eze thanked the Federal and State Government and specifically thanked the Vice President for finding time to visit the state, and promised that his hospital will do its best to save lives at any point in time.
