OTA TANKER FIRE CRASH: FRSC DENIES CAUSING THE CRASH, RELEASES REPORT OF INVESTIGATION ON CRASH
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| The FRSC Unit Commander Ota, Asst, Corps Commander Ganiyu, briefing Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun and his Deputy at scene of the tanker crash. |
Amidst the controversy
that the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) was responsible for the tanker
that crashed on Thursday 14 November 2019 at Ota along the Lagos - Abeokuta
Expressway, which led to a fire outbreak that led to the deaths of two persons and destruction of
seventeen vehicles with the story
reported in some sections of the media that the FRSC caused the crash
based on a press release signed on behalf of Prince Dr Dapo Abiodun MFR, the
Governor of Ogun State, by Mr Kunle
Somorin the Governor's Chief Press Secretary.
2. The FRSC has
denied no such thing happened. In an interview granted by the FRSC Sector
Commander for Ogun State Corps Commander Clement Oladele, he denied that FRSC
caused crashes but rather the FRSC is a safety Agency with a globally recognised
standard operating processes
(SOP) that has attained an international standardisation certification
of ISO 9001 Quality Management System ( ISO 9001 :2015 QMS) .
3. The Sector
Commander in the interview spoke about the report of the crash investigation
conducted on that particular crash and the detailed road audit the FRSC
conducted on the Ota old toll gate on the Lagos - Abeokuta Expressway, which
the Sector Commander described as a black spot that has caused road traffic crashes and claimed 33 lives in
the last five years
4. The Sector
Commander once again commiserated with the families of the crash victims and
commended the Governor of Ogun State Prince (Dr) Dapo Abiodun MFR for
personally visiting the crash site as well as all other good spirited
individuals and corporate organisations that condoned over the unfortunate
incident
5. The Sector
Commander equally commended all the safety, security and emergency agencies
that worked assiduously to contain the unfortunate incident.
6. The Sector
Commander specifically commended the FRSC Unit Commander of Ota, Assistant
Corps Commander Akeem Ganiyu who demonstrated professionalism and resilience in
coordinating the entire rescue operations, albeit working in an emotionally traumatic
situation.
7. The Sector
Commander said Ganiyu lost his father on the morning of the crash and has
requested for official pass to be absent from work the next day to travel home
and burry his late father, but unfortunately at about midnight the incident
happened. Despite the emotional pains of the loss of his father the Unit
Commander remained professionally stable and effectively coordinated the crash
from 1130pm on Thursday 14 till 0600pm the next day 15 November, 2019 without
leaving the crash scene til the entire exercise was mopped up.
RTC INVOLVING TRUCKS AND
TANKERS
8 The Sector
Command said considering the strategic nature of corridors in Ogun state being
a gateway state, with 40% of the 380,000 vehicles being articulated vehicles, especially
trucks and tankers, and coupled with the ongoing massive road construction
projects characterized with road diversions at construction sites, Ogun State
no doubt records road traffic crashes and fatalities that have assumed a worrisome
dimension.
REPORT OF THE FRSC
INVESTIGATION OF THE OTA TANKER FIRE CRASH
9 The Sector
Commander said that as routine the FRSC conducts investigation of road traffic
crashes that caused deaths and destruction of properties. . He noted that one
of the most recent crash investigation.
is the Ota tanker fire incident that occurred on Thursday 14 November,
2019 along the Lagos - Abeokuta Expressway that claimed two lives and injured six persons, although one other
injured victim the FRSC Rescue team rescued for medical attention , later died
at the Hospital, bringing the total
number of deaths from that incident to three.
The Sector Commander prayed for repose of their souls and quick recovery
to the injured victims
10. The Sector
Commander said this avoidable crash and other crashes in the State would have
been prevented if simple safety practices are strictly adhered to.
11. According
to the Sector Commander, from the findings of the crash investigation, there is
a great suspicion that the burnt tanker which bore the colours and markings of
MRS Petroleum may belong to a Major Oil Marketer in Nigeria “Even though the
tanker got burnt, but diligent investigation by the professional FRSC Crash
Investigators showed the markings and
colours on the burnt tanker ''.
12. According
to the Crash Investigation Report, despite investigation being hampered over
the disappearance of the driver of the ill - fated truck and the removal of the
number plates of the truck, which would have easily tracked the vehicle to the
registered owner, even if the vehicle's number plate were burnt. Accordingly
the FRSC is not deterred by the removal of the burnt tanker's number plates, as
the Corps had explored other insignia found from the burnt truck to identify
and track the owners.
13. The Sector
Commander also said a manhunt has been mounted for the arrest of the tanker's
driver to facilitate prosecution and pressing for compensation for the victims
of the tanker crash.
14. The
results from the FRSC's preliminary crash investigation confirmed that the
truck on the fateful day was ascending
uphill the road leading towards Abeokuta and nearing Sango town from Lagos , but at about 2355hrs
(1155 pm) , haven passed the old toll gate , Ota where the FRSC Unit Command,
is located. About 200 meters away around
Bible College junction besides an abandoned petrol station, the PMS laden fuel
tanker with a Mack Truck Head malfunctioned and suddenly stalled while climbing
the hill. In a swift attempt to prevent the truck which started rolling
backwards, the driver turned the truck in an attempt to use the road median as
a wedge to stop the truck, but unfortunately the driver lost control of the
truck which jack - knifed and flipped.
15. The Crash
Investigation Report also said , when the tanker flipped , In the process half
of the liquefied PMS (petrol) contained in the tanker spilled and the contents
flowed through the open drains about 200 meters from the ill - fated tanker's
final resting position, downwards to the
old toll gate, Ota. In the process, one
of the buses that queued behind the tanker ignited inferno from its exhaust pipe
and blew up the entire area covering up to 200 meters on both sides of the
Expressway.
16. The crash
investigation report listed the major casualties of the inferno that engulfed
as the ill - fated tanker; 10 trucks and 6 mini buses, totalling 17 vehicles.
The FRSC Command located at the old toll gate was also affected as the fire
burnt the command's perimeter fence; two gates: staff canteen and the office
sign board. Six casualties were rescued to the hospital, but two unidentified
persons were found burnt beyond recognition. Their charred corpses were found
close to the old toll gate Ota far away from the final resting position of the
ill - fated tanker, which confirmed that neither of the burnt bodies belonged
to the driver or assistant driver (motor boy) of the fuel tanker. One of the
rescued casualties later died in the hospital.
17. Apart
from the victims and damages done to the road and environment, the Crash
Investigation Report put loss from the crash at a value of over 269 million
naira estimated to have been lost to that particular incident.
18. According
to the Sector Commander the crash investigation also confirmed that the crashed
tanker as at time of the incident did not observe the safety standards of a
''safety valve'' installed, which would have prevented the highly inflammable
petroleum contents from spilling. The
Sector Commander said the FRSC has
continued to engage operators of vehicles used to convey petroleum products to
adhere to the "Safe to Load Scheme" by amongst other standards ,
install fuel tankers ''Safety Valve''
that would not allow tankers that fell while transporting, their contents from
spilling. This according to Mr. Oladele is in tandem with the 1957 United
Nations Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by
Road (ADR), which Nigeria acceded to last year.
19. The Sector
Commander explained further that even in countries with very high road safety standards,
petroleum tankers also fall due to road traffic crashes but with the
installation of ''Safety Valve Seal ''the contents of the tanker would not
spill.
Mr. Oladele said
the ''Safety Valve Seal'' is similar to a cork on the bottle of plastic water
or beverages drinks that where firmly closed the contents inside the bottle
would not spill, in the event of the bottle falling.
20. The FRSC
Ogun State Sector Commander wondered why fleet operators would not install the
seal valve which is about a million naira to protect their multi million naira
investment in oil and gas business which ultimately would preserve the
environment from pollution from spilled or burnt petroleum products as well as
save lives from avoidable tanker crashes on our roads.
EFFORTS BY FRSC IN MITIGATING
TANKER AND TRUCK CRASHES
21. According to the Ogun State Sector Commander
the FRSC would continue to adopt cutting edge processes to educate operators of
fleets transporting dangerous goods, including flammable products in tankers as
well as other large capacity vehicles like trucks, Lorries and luxury buses, to
ensure safe haulage transportation.
22. In Ogun
State for instance, the FRSC Management had to establish a Unit command in
Mosinmi considering the risks associated with large number of tankers loading
fuel at the NNPC Depot in Mosinmi, Ogun State.
23. In related
development the FRSC Ogun State Command, worried by the spate of crashes
involving petroleum tankers held series of engagements with the Department of
Petroleum Resources (DPR), Abeokuta Field Office which culminated to the
training of over 500 tankers and other articulated vehicles drivers in April
this year at the NNPC Depot Mosinmi and Ogere Trailer Park in Ogun State. The
training has continued aimed at reaching others yet to be trained. In similar
vein the special operations embarked upon by the FRSC to enforce the Safe to
Load Project led to the arrest and prosecution of 120 Tankers and Trucks along
the Lagos - Ibadan Expressway.
24.. The FRSC
in collaboration with Nigeria Shippers Council is organizing joint sensitization rallies with operators of
tankers and other fleet operators across the country. The South West sensitization
rally is scheduled to hold in Lagos on 27 November, 2019. This would also be backed up with diligent enforcement
to ensure compliance with standard safety practice.
RTC RECORDS ON CRASHES AROUND
THE OLD TOLL GATE OTA AND MITIGATIONS
25. According
to the FRSC Sector Commander in Ogun State, a total of 140 road traffic
crashes (RTCs) were recorded on the
about 200 meters stretch of the old toll gate Ota, Ogun State
on the Lagos- Abeokuta Expressway in the
last five years from January .2014 to 22 Oct 2019 (a copy is attached)
26. The Sector
Commander who described that stretch as a black spot, said within the same
period of the last five years, a total of 397 Vehicles were involved which resulted in 33 deaths with a total of 1,254 persons involved in
these crashes
27. Within the
reporting period a total of 338 injured victims were rescued alive during the
period of the last five years.
28. The Sector
Commander said from the FRSCs routine road audits of the Lagos - Abeokuta
corridor, a re - engineering of the old toll gate area, notorious for frequent
crashes was recommended to eliminate the sloppy gradient which usually prevent vehicles,
especially articulated vehicles (trucks & tankers) that failed break from
crashing into passengers waiting to board vehicles to Lagos or other parts of
Ogun State, since it's a major transit point in Ota, situated by the old toll
gate
29. Mr. Oladele said a comprehensive audit report was
prepared by the FRSC and deposited with the Federal Ministry of Works and
Housing, FERMA, the Ogun State Ministry of Works & Infrastructure and other
relevant stakeholders to aid decisions
30. Mr. Oladele
said the summary of the audit report is that it examined the major causes of
frequent crashes around the area and opined that wholesome traffic re
- engineering solution that would
separate motorised traffic from other non motorised traffic especially pedestrians,
would remove all areas of points of
traffic conflicts that would not allow
vehicles to interfere with pedestrians nor allow pedestrians to have any
contact with vehicles in transit at that major intersection, would best prevent fatal road crashes.
31. Apart from
filling up the slope , an over head interchange that would allow vehicles in
transit connect the various exit points at the old toll gate intersection ,
without interfering with flow of traffic , would be most suitable to prevent
gridlocks
32. In addition , Mr. Oladele said all the marker permits issued by the local authorities
should be revoked and the markets located besides the intersection should be
relocated away , as well as the illegal bus stops besides the road be
dismantled with standard bus stops erected far away from where passengers cannot
interfere with the flow of traffic .
33. According to the Sector Commander the Audit Report
from the FRSC partly influenced the Federal Government's decision to award
contracts to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, for the rehabilitation of the entire stretch
of the corridor from Lagos to Abeokuta.
34. It is
expected that the crashes associated with that stretch of this corridor would
be eliminated when the road project is completed
FRSC IS A SAFETY ORGANISATION
AND DOES NOT CAUSE CRASHES
35. The FRSC
Ogun State Sector Commander, Clement Oladele, reacting to the publication in
some sections of the media that the FRSC was accused of responsible for the Ota
tanker crash, based on a press release by the Chief Press Secretary to the Ogun State Governor, Prince (Dr) Dapo
Abiodun MFR, the Sector Commander, denied such report claiming that FRSC is a
safety Agency with ISO 9001 Quality Management
System certification and that
FRSC does not cause road traffic crashes but was established to prevent them.
36. The Sector
Commander said he read the report in some sections of the media but dismissed it
as untrue and never even bothered reacting,
till it festered in both the print and social media with several people drawing
his attention to it.
37. The Sector Commander said he thereafter called on
phone the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Ogun State Governor, Mr. Kunle
Somorin, who upon picking the Sector Commander's phone call, exclaimed that he
has been expecting the Sector Commander's call in respect of the publication. The
Sector Commander claimed the Chief Press Secretary told him the Governor in the
Press Release was misquoted by some sections of the media.
38. The Sector
Commander said he thereafter told the Chief Press Secretary of some statements
that were inconsistent with the operations of the FRSC, which after explaining
to the CPS, he said he understood, but would forward the exact press release he
signed on behalf of the Governor to the Sector Commander.
39. Mr. Oladele
confirmed that the CPS forwarded the Press Release to him and he never saw
where the statement mentioned FRSC in her operations caused that tanker crash
or any other crash.
40. The Sector
Commander explained that the FRSC Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) on patrol
is to first identity an offender and flag same down and ensure the suspected
traffic offender is parked away off the road from obstructing traffic. Mr.
Oladele even jokingly said that was where the phrase ''park well ' which the
FRSC was referred to in her formative years, originated from.
41, The Sector Commander said upon confirming that the
traffic offender stopped committed the offence he is issued a citation (notice
of offence ticket) which is like a court summon for the trial of the traffic
offences against him but which if he wishes could avoid prosecution by going to
the banks or through e - payment platform, REMITAS pay the value into
government coffers.
42. The Sector Commander denied that FRSC operations
caused gridlocks, as vehicles apprehended are not usually detained except if a
case of dangerous driving or theft of the vehicle arrested is suspected. Usually
the offender is ticketed and allowed to go. Another instance that could warrant
FRSC impounding a vehicle is when the driver arrested lacks
an acceptable means of identification like
a valid driver's license or
original of the vehicle' papers, which are held in the believe that the
offender would come back for prosecution or payment of the citations and
thereafter reclaim him/her impounded vehicle.
Where a decision is taken to impound such vehicle, they are usually kept
in safe custody within the FRSC premises
43. The Sector
Commander said there is no way the FRSC's operations by this SOP could cause
any gridlock, since FRSC does not mount road blocks. The Sector Commander said
some of the vehicles parked around the old toll gate, where the FRSC office and
other buildings are located, are mainly accidented vehicles with some in
litigations and kept close to where they crashed by some sister agencies as exhibits.
44. The Sector
Commander said the FRSC in Ogun State would continue to strive to discharge
it's mandates professionally till highways in Ogun State become the safest in
West Africa.
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