We cannot guarantee safety of protesting truck drivers – Niger Gov’t
He said in the event of any tanker carrying motor spirit exploding and spilling the products within the communities,
Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello
The Niger State Government says it will not guarantee the safety of protesting heavy-duty vehicles and tanker drivers for continuous blockage of Lambata-Bida road over restriction of their movement by the state government to ply Minna-Bida Road due to ongoing reconstruction of the road.
The Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, stated this in a statement he issued in Minna, Sunday.
According to him, “State Government can no longer guarantee their safety, communities affected as a result of the blockage are overstretched and agitated.”
Matane also warned that the state government would not take liability “damaged vehicles or goods as a result of any unfortunate incident that may arise.”
He said in the event of any tanker carrying motor spirit exploding and spilling the products within the communities, the taker owners would be held responsible and affected communities would claim damages.
The SSG revealed that the efforts by the state government to engage the tanker drivers and their unions in dialogue to clear the roads and allow innocent motorists go about their normal business has proved abortive.
He called on the tanker and heavy-duty vehicle drivers to hasten the opening of the roads, adding that the blockage would not compel the state government to allow them to ply the Minna-Bida Road while the reconstruction is still ongoing.