In a bid to reduce accident on the roads, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobri, has said there is the need for
the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to certify tanker drivers to reduce petroleum products truck accidents, explosions, and fatalities.
Addressing a delegation of the FRSC led by the Corps Marshall, Shehu Mohammed to his office on Monday, the minister also urged the Corps to certify the tanker roadworthy before they are deployed for haulage of products for the safety of the public.
“Our intention at this particular time is to collaborate with you so that you will be able to intensify your efforts to ensure that only tankers or trucks that are certified roadworthy, should be allowed to carry these products to different parts of the country.
“And also to certify the drivers. Even if you have a brand new driver and the driver is not well trained, I mean, he is as good as, giving him an old truck. You may buy a brand new truck so that the driver will go and crash it.”
Expressing concern over the inferno and carnage caused by petroleum truck accidents, he said: “We are deeply concerned by the recurrent cases of tank explosions and tank or truck accidents leading to the loss of several lives in Nigeria.
“It is one development that is deeply concerning to us as a result of some of the peculiarities that we face at this particular time.”
He explained the certification has become necessary in the public interest because the drivers are responsible for conveying petroleum products from the depots to the market with the trucks.
The minister said since the pipelines originally laid to convey petroleum products have outlived their lifespan, the industry has resorted to virtual conveyance.
He said the reconstruction of the pipeline is capital intensive, noting the private sector has to participate in the business.
Lokpobri blamed it all on the delay in the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act, stressing there was no investment in the entire sector for 12 years.
His words: “Ordinarily, petroleum products ought to be transported through pipelines to nearer locations where people can come, take, and then, take to the final destination. But most of the pipelines have already outlived their lifespans, and it is very capital intensive, you know, to replace them.
“And so those discussions are still going on. You will recall that before this administration, for 12 years, there has been majorly no investment in the oil sector, not just upstream, but also, midstream and downstream.
“And it was because a lot of people felt that Nigeria’s governance structure wasn’t really steady.”
He assured the FRSC boss of advising the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and others to provide ambulance and training for the corps.
The Minister called on FRSC to see compliance with extant global road safety standards with the utmost fundamental importance.
Lokpobri insisted that a collaboration between the ministry and FRSC can prevent accidents by 100% or reduce the rate of crashes.
The minister tasked FRSC to use technology to track infractions on the road.
Earlier, the Corps Marshall said FRSC has an existing collaboration with the NMDPRA for ensuring the safety of the personnel, trucks, and tankers carrying petroleum products by roads.
He added that the personnel ensure that safety bumps are in place and being tightened so that in the event of road traffic crashes, the oil might not spill over to cause fire.
He said FRSC has so many collaborations with agencies under the ministry, and as a road safety traffic agency in management and administration, it has designed many initiatives like the road transport safety certification scheme for tankers and vehicles on the roads.
Seeking the support of the ministry for ambulances, he said: “We also may seek your support in the ambulances, and even the patrol vehicle that we put on the road so that we increase our visibility to be able to make the road safer, and also be able to execute our mandate as enshrined in the FRC Act.”