Over 300 fuel tankers were involved in various road accidents in Lagos State in 2020 and 114 major disasters were attended to between December and February 22, 2021.
This was disclosed by the State Commissioner for Special Duties, Tayo Bamgbose-Martins on Monday, during the LASEMA road traffic accident simulation held at the Cappa Response Unit, Oshodi.
It was reported that with the pump price of petrol at N170/litre by 33,000 litres, an estimated N1,683,000,000 was lost to the 300 tanker accidents.
Bamgbose-Martins said, “In 2020 we had over 300 tanker accidents. Between December and now LASEMA has responded to 114 major emergencies saving lives and billions of naira worth of properties.
“While some were accidental, others could have been avoided with better awareness. These incidents have not only affected the state as a whole but individual households and businesses experiencing loss of income.
“Disaster prevention and management is a top priority of this administration and I can say with confidence and gratitude, that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has always supported the ministry and all the relevant agencies everytime we call on his assistance.
“Lagos is densely populated and being the economic hub of Nigeria has made Lagos prone to disasters of varying causes ranging from global incidences to local industrial activities. The state has witnessed a series of accidents, flooding, gas explosions, fire outbreaks, pipeline vandalism and other mishaps.
“However, I am glad to say, that LASEMA and our sister agencies have lived up to the expectation that borne their existence. Loss of lives has been prevented, and the effect of many disasters mitigated with their professional handling of such unfortunate events.
“This simulation exercise, the first this year, is to further prepare our agencies for better disaster management and also show the level of preparedness of our agencies, stimulating our responders for any event that will need their expertise.”
