N150m Lost to Umuahia Tanker Fire, Station Owner Appeals to Otti for Help
Mr. Chinonso Ahamefule, Chief Executive Officer of Aka God Petroleum Limited, and Mr. Chukwunenye Alajemba, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Homeland Security, during the visit to the scene of the tanker fire incident
By Leonard Okachie
The owner of Aka God Petroleum Limited, Nkwoegwu, near Umuahia, Mr. Chinonso Ahamefule, has lamented the losses he incurred following the tanker fire outbreak that occurred at his filling station on Sunday.
He estimated his losses at about N150 million as a result of the tragic incident.
Ahamefule spoke on Monday, when the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Homeland Security, Mr Chukwunenye Alajemba, accompanied by top management officials of the organisation, visited the scene of the fire.
The incident occurred on June 14 when a petrol-laden tanker exploded while discharging fuel at the service station.
Narrating the incident, Ahamefule said his station manager called to inform him about the fire barely 10 minutes after he had left the premises.
“My manager called and told me that the tanker suddenly caught fire without any warning signs.
“They were offloading petrol and, within 10 minutes, the fire started from underneath the truck.
“They tried their best and used fire extinguishers, but they could not contain it,” Ahamefule said.
He commended firefighters from the Abia State Fire Service for their prompt response, noting that their intervention prevented what could have been a bigger disaster.
“If not for the fire service, this place would have been completely devastated.
“They worked tirelessly to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings.
“They spent more than six to seven hours battling the inferno here.
“I sincerely thank our governor because things are working now, especially with the prompt response of the fire service,” he said.
According to him, the fire destroyed 60,000 litres of petrol valued at more than N60 million, a tanker truck worth about N70 million, as well as solar panels, fuel pumps, dispensing metres, buildings and several nearby shops.
“My personal loss is about N150 million.
“The people operating shops around here are all looking up to me and asking how I intend to help them repair their shops.
“One woman who sells provisions lost everything. Her refrigerator and all her goods were destroyed in the fire.
“I don’t even know where to begin again. I have lost so much, but I still have hope as long as I am alive,” he said.
Ahamefule appealed to Governor Alex Otti to come to his aid.
“I am appealing to our governor because I know he is a listening leader with a compassionate heart.
“I am pleading with him to assist us so that this place can become operational again,” he said.
Alajemba said that the station received a distress call at 6:35 p.m. and deployed fire crew, which arrived by 6:50 p.m.
“The first task was to ensure that the fire was contained within the petrol station and around the tanker because it was carrying about 45,000 litres of petrol.
“There is a hospital here, as well as shops and other buildings. We successfully prevented the fire from spreading to those structures,” Alajemba said.
He attributed the rapid response and successful containment of the fire to ongoing reforms in the state’s emergency response system under Governor Otti.
“If this incident had occurred four or five years ago, the entire area would have been razed. That is the truth.
“But today, because of the improved capacity of the fire service and the availability of ambulances stationed nearby, there was no loss of life,” he said.
Alajemba urged residents to contact the fire service directly through its emergency lines — 09032858657 or 08133556900 — in the event of fire outbreaks or medical emergencies, rather than spending time recording and posting videos online.
Speaking on the station owner’s appeal for government assistance, he said:
“The governor is a listening leader.
“He has a kind heart, but he is also a man who believes in due process.
“I am confident that he will consider their request and take the appropriate action.”
One of the affected shop owners, Mrs. Oluchi Nwosu, whose provision shop and residence were destroyed in the fire, also appealed to the state government for support.
“First of all, I thank God that no life was lost. That is the most important thing.
“But we are now homeless. We have lost everything and have nowhere to go.
“I am appealing to the government and the governor to help us rebuild our shops, homes, the petrol station and replace everything that was destroyed in the fire,” she said.
