When a fuel tanker falls on our roads and citizens begin scooping fuel (as is usually the case), what should be the immediate response of a responsible government? Should they wait for the inevitable explosion, count the dead, sympathise with grieving families, and move on until another tragedy occurs?
Sadly, this has become the Nigerian situation. The recent fire at Oluku Market in Benin City raises serious questions about emergency preparedness, not just in Edo State, but in Nigeria as a whole. I personally read a report that it took five hours for a fire truck to get to the scene of the fire.
For a fuel tanker that fell at about 7:30 AM, it is unfortunate that nothing was done to arrest the situation until about 11:50 AM, when the fire ignited. Why does the government continue to act as though these things are unpredictable?
When a tanker falls and petrol begins to leak, the danger it poses is obvious. The government should have established emergency protocols that immediately trigger the deployment of security personnel, firefighters and emergency management officials. This is how things are done in saner climes.
As at the time I read the reports on Thursday, October 15, 2026, and saw the videos flying about on social media, I knew the only way the story would end was in a fire. One would think that, in situations like this, the reasonable thing to do is to cordon off the area, prevent people from approaching the tanker, eliminate ignition sources where safely possible, and contain the spill.
But this is Nigeria, where those who should be leading aren’t, and those who have no business with leadership occupy offices that are larger than their knowledge and experience.
If the reports of delayed response at Oluku are accurate, the Edo State Government owes us, the Edo people, an explanation. When was the emergency reported? When were the relevant agencies notified? Why was the response delayed? Were the necessary equipment and personnel available?
It’s one thing to be screaming “Edo is Shining” from the rooftops; it’s another thing altogether for the reality on the ground to match the slogan. Is this how Edo is shining?
Does a state shine just because its government gives it a beautiful slogan? It shines when its roads are safe, when its citizens are protected from insecurity, when its public services function, and when its emergency responders are ready when disaster strikes.
A government that keeps promising 2.5 million votes to a sitting President, even before elections are conducted, can’t do anything to protect lives and property? What, then, is the value of such political calculations when citizens are still struggling with bad roads, insecurity and inadequate emergency response?
Governance is not measured by the number of votes a governor promises to deliver to a President. It is measured by the lives protected, the roads fixed, the communities secured and the public services delivered.
We cannot continue to lose lives and property to foreseeable disasters, issue condolences and return to business as usual. Every tragedy must lead to accountability, proper investigation and measurable improvements. In saner climes, the Director General of the Edo State Fire Service and Rescue Agency ought to have resigned by now.
We, the Edo people, deserve more than a shining slogan. We deserve a government that anticipates danger and protects lives.
Is this too much to ask?
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