Lagos compensates 243 Iyana-Ipaja, Idimu tanker fire victims, ranging from N500,000 to N50,000

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, on Tuesday, redeemed his promise to assist victims of recent tanker fire in the Iyana-Ipaja and Idimu areas of the state with the distribution of cheques to 243 victims enumerated by the state government.
The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Oluranti Adebule, at the cheque distribution, held at the Igando Rehabilitation Centre, Igando, urged the beneficiaries to utilize the government’s assistance and return home to rehabilitate themselves as much they could.
Ambode said, “We know that what government has given is not enough but with the belief that you are going to put it to judicious use, it would go a long way to help out. Please stay peaceful and remain focused.
“We want to you to go back home and rehabilitate yourself as much as you could. The good Lord would continue to be with you. We pray not to witness this kind of incidence again. We share in your feelings and urge you to continue to give your support to this administration.”
He urged citizens to continue to be patient and join hands with his administration, adding that the government was going to be very responsive and had already demonstrated that by the financial assistance.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Dr Aderemi Desalu. said from the Iyana Ipaja incident, 76 persons were recommended for financial assistance, out which seven were landlords and got N500,000 each.
Sixty four others, who were shop owners, each got N150,000, while five tricycle operators got N50,000 each.
Desalu said from the Idimu petrol tanker incident, a total of 369 persons were affected, out of which 167 were adults.
“We brought members of that community to this camp. We had a total of 369 residents including children. They have been here for one month and would be departing very soon. One hundred and sixty seven of them are adults. We recommended N50,000 but the governor magnanimously doubled what we recommended,” he added.
Meanwhile, a committee, set up by Ambode to examine the immediate and remote causes of the petrol tanker disasters witnessed last month, has submitted its report.
The committee, chaired by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, presented its report to the Governor on Tuesday at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja.
Ambode, had in the wake of the Iyana Ipaja and Idimu petrol tanker explosions, set up a fact finding committee with a charge on it to prepare guidelines for ethical conduct for tanker drivers, who might be found culpable in the unfortunate incidents.
The committee was also expected to engage the insurance industry and work out appropriate policies expected to protect residents of the state from havoc in future tanker incidences in the state.
In the report, the committee made far reaching recommendations to the Governor on how to prevent recurrence of such disasters.
Ambode promised to work on the recommendations, saying the state government would take necessary steps to protect the lives and property of its citizenry.
He said his administration did not subscribe to forcing down directives on people, explaining that this informed the government’s decision  to set up the committee with representatives of relevant stakeholders to fashion out preventive strategies against such occurrences.