According to the Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. C-Don Adinuba, the state government had on Thursday set up a six-member panel to investigate the cause of the accident involving a tanker and other vehicles at the ever-busy Upper Iweka Road in Onitsha.
The committee has been given the mandate to investigate and to make recommendations on how to prevent future occurrence of accident of that nature. The government had charged the committee to submit their reports within one week.
The panel of inquiry set up by the government is headed by the Commissioner for Transport, while other members of the committee include the Commandant of the State Traffic Management Agency, Commissioner for Justice, the Commissioner for Health and the Attorney-General of the state. Other members include a representative of the state police command and the Sector Commandant of the Federal Road Safety Corps.
Mr. C-Don Adinuba expressed government’s regrets over the incident, while commiserating with the families of the victims of the accident. The added that the Anambra State Government was indeed very grieved with the accident which claimed seven (7) innocent lives and left more than fourteen (14) others with various degrees of injuries on Wednesday, March 13, at Upper Iweka Road, Onitsha.
It was reported that the tanker involved in the accident was carrying 33,000 litres of kerosene before the accident occurred. The government has also stated that the casualty figure would have been worse if street hawking and trading had not been banned in the area where the accident occurred.
Mr. C-Don Adinuba has also stated that the state governor, Willie Obiano had directed that the medical bills of all those who were injured as a result of the accident will be offset by the state government and urged the hospitals taken care of the patients to give then the best medical attention possible within their powers to see that they regain their health speedily.
