The Senate has mandated the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to ensure strict compliance with Safety and the United Nations 1957 agreement concerning the carriage of dangerous goods by road.
The directive was given to the FRSC following consideration of a motion on “The need for Tankers Transporting Flammable Products and Premium Motor Spirits (PMS) in Nigeria to Adhere to the 1957 United Nations International Agreement Concerning the Carriage of Dangerous Goods.”
Coming under a point of order, sponsor of the motion, Senator Tolulope Odebiyi (APC, Ogun West), said that a petroleum tanker with fuel crashed on the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway, on Thursday, November 14, 2019.
According to the lawmaker, the tanker emptied its contents on the road following the crash and caused a terrible fire incident.
Odebiyi recalled that Nigeria acceded to the United Nations 1957 International Agreement concerning the carriage of Dangerous Goods by road on October 18, 2018, an agreement that came into force on November 18, 2018.
“The agreement requires trucks conveying dangerous goods, including petroleum products to be installed with tanker seal valves, which prevents the liquefied contents from spilling its content in the event of an accident,” Odebiyi said.
The lawmaker noted that the non-compliance of truck owners engaged in the transportation of dangerous goods have constantly resulted in the loss of lives and properties.
He warned that unless concerned authorities implement the provisions of the UN 1957 agreement which Nigeria is signatory to, these incidents may continue unabated.
Accordingly in its resolutions, the Senate commiserated with the families of those involved in the accident and called on relief agencies to provide assistance to all those affected.
The upper chamber also observed a minute of silence in honour of those who lost their lives.
