The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has conducted a public awareness and simulation exercise in Kano to educate residents and tanker drivers on the dangers of fuel tanker accidents and explosions.
Dr. Nuradeen Abdullahi, NEMA’s Kano/Jigawa Territorial Coordinator, explained that the initiative is part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to enhance public awareness, strengthen inter-agency collaboration, and promote safety measures.
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He emphasized that the exercise aims to prevent and mitigate the devastating impact of tanker explosions, which have become a recurring hazard in urban and transit areas.
Speaking at the NNPC Depot in Hotoro, Kano, Abdullahi stressed the importance of sensitizing tanker drivers about the dangers of fire accidents.
“Disaster management is a multi-agency, multi-sectoral, and multi-disciplinary issue,” he noted.
He urged drivers to drive safely, avoid drug use, and reminded the public not to scoop fuel in the event of an accident.
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The Executive Secretary of the Kano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji Isyaku Abdullahi-Kubarachi, advised trailer drivers to apply the knowledge gained from the simulation exercise and remain drug-free behind the wheel.
He commended the stakeholders and frontline fuel transport operators, acknowledging their critical role not only in keeping the economy running but also in ensuring public safety.
Similarly, the Kano State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Abubakar Idris, represented by the Deputy Commander of Narcotics, Mr. Bulus Musa, warned tanker drivers against drug use.
“Combining fuel and drugs is like putting fire in a container,” he said. “It will definitely lead to recklessness and carelessness, resulting in pandemonium.”
The Chairman of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (Kano Branch) of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Alhaji Sani Dan Malan, described the exercise as timely.
He explained that the union enforces strict rules: any driver found using drugs is banned from driving a tanker, and nighttime driving is prohibited. Violators, he warned, will be penalized.
Also speaking at the event, the Controller of the Federal Fire Service in Kano State, Khazeem Sholadoye-Oyefola, emphasized that the sensitization would go a long way in preventing accidents and fire outbreaks, especially on major roads.
“Carelessness is the major cause of fire, apart from drug use,” he noted.
NAN reports that the event featured live demonstrations on emergency response to fuel spills and fire outbreaks by the Fire Service, Red Cross, FRSC, NEMA, and other agencies.
NAN