Tejiri Ebikeme/Francis Sadhere
Chairman, Delta State Council of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Williams Akporeha has advocated for the establishment of Accident Support Agency by the State Government.
The NLC Boss made this advocacy when he and his labour team visited some of the survivors of the January 12, bus fire incident which involved a Delta City Shuttle bus that went up in flames killing 13 persons.
According to the NLC boss, the agency, if established will help and support victims of accident who could not pay for their hospital bill, lamenting that it was not “proper for the victims to be left to their fate.”
“I want to use this opportunity to appeal to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to set up an accident support agency to handle situations like this – unforeseen and challenging situations. It could happen to anybody and when it happens you are not prepared for it. These kind of people need support from the Government and well meaning Nigerians. An agency of that nature will be able to give people of this kind of accident such supports,” he said.
He said; “Honestly when I think of situations like this where people are left to their fate, I think it is not proper. My purpose is to come around, look at what is on ground and also appeal to the Governor to come to their aid. The Governor of the state and other well meaning Nigerians can come to the aid of these victims.
While describing the incident as unfortunate, Comrade Akporeha, appealed to the State Government to also try and identify the families of those who lost their lives and look for a way to support them, stressing that it was not only the survivors that needed help.
“It is a very unfortunate situation. And the truth of the matter is that it happens every time. This is not the first time it is happening. So I think there is need to put an agency to permanently solve this kind of situation. Like I said this is something that nobody prepares for,” he added.
Continuing he said; “Even those that got burnt, their families are in a very difficult situation and the government should also come to their aid and console them by way of also giving them assistant. So it is not only those that are still alive that need assistant, but also those that have lost their family members. So this is why I am asking that such agency should be put in place so that when accidents occurs such agency could rise up to the occasion.”
Comrade Akporeha, however, advised commercial bus drivers to go for safety training, regretting that what caused the fire accident was lack of safety awareness which he said every driver ought to have.
“Yes, I learnt that it was a safety issue and lack of awareness. But I think this awareness should be on the part of the drivers who are operating these vehicles. They should be able to know what their passengers are carrying and if it is flammable goods they should not carry them. Petrol, diesel, kerosene should not be allowed in a bus filled with people,” he said.
Meanwhile, at the Ekpan General Hospital, where one of the survivors, Mrs. Rosemary Bethland was receiving treatment, the Delta NLC Boss donated toiletries and an undisclosed amount of cash to the victim and her husband.
He also donated toiletries and cash amount to another survivor, Mrs. Godfrey Owhe, whose condition was critical but stable with 70% burn, receiving treatment at Bryant Hospital in Emebiren Street, Warri.
