• Seeks compliance with safety rules
The candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) for the October 31 senatorial bye-election in Lagos East, Mr. Tokunbo Abiru, has commiserated with the families of the victims of an explosion that occurred at Best Roof Cooking Gas Plant, Baruwa, Alimosho Local Government on Thursday.
Abiru, a former Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State, described the explosion as unavoidable if necessary safety measures had been in place before the incident that claimed lives and destroyed properties worth of millions of naira.
He expressed this concern in a statement he issued on Thursday, tasking the Lagos State Government and Department Petroleum Resources (DPR) to synergise on the need for all the operators of gas plants to comply with health, safety and environment standards.
In a two-page statement he personally signed on Thursday, the APC candidate urged Lagos residents statewide “to always report cases of violation anywhere health, safety and environment standards are compromised in the state.
“Every Lagosian must take this obligation seriously in support of the government and as a measure to forestall avoidable loss of lives, destruction of assets and disruption of public life in the future,” Abiru explained.
He observed that the final report of the state government and its regulatory agencies “has identified negligence on the part of the gas plant operators as the roots cause of the gas explosion.
“As a result, the state government has promised to take stiffer measures against operators of gas plants or any combustible items in the State to avoid future recurrence of such disaster. We agree in entirety with the measures the administration of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has taken so far.”
Lamenting the unfortunate incident in his statement, the APC candidate condoled the families of the victims of the gas explosion and Sanwo-Olu, praying that God would comfort and strengthen them bear the cost of the incident that wreaked havoc in the state yesterday.
He wrote: “This morning, I received the report of an explosion that occurred at Best Roof Cooking Gas Plant, Baruwa, Alimosho LGA, Lagos State with grief. As a result of this gas explosion, lives were lost; properties devastated and some residents around the plant sustained varying degrees of injury.
“My heart is with the families of those who suffered mild and irredeemable fatalities due to the gas explosion. I pray that God comfort and strengthen you all. I also commiserate with my dear brother and the governor on this incident,” Abiru said in his statement.
The explosion occurred only a fortnight after a similar incident wreaked havoc at Iju Ishaga, Ifako-Ijaiye LGA, Lagos State and about seven months after another explosion decimated lives and assets in Abule Ado, Amuwo-Odofin LGA, Lagos State.
