Lagos Govt Has Abandoned Me, Other Victims Of Gas Explosion, Says Ex-NUPENG President

Brisibe Awe, a former president of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), has accused the Lagos State Government of abandoning him and other victims of the gas explosion which rocked Ado-Soba, Abule-Ado in the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of the state in March.

His house is located about 150 metres away from the scene of the gas explosion, which claimed over 20 lives.

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Awe told Newsbreak that although some engineers, who claimed to be working for the state government, had taken pictures of his building, he is yet to be informed of any development.

Still living in the building after replacing some parts of the affected roof, Awe, also pastor of Our Father The Most High God Ministries at 14, Gani Adams Road, Ado-Soba, said he had been attending a burial in Bayelsa on the day the explosion occurred.

“The government reached me personally, some people came here and introduced themselves as engineers from the state government, they came here with all particulars, they took photographs of everything and later on, we were thinking that they were going to do something.

“Since then, the government promised that they were going to do something but up till now, nothing has been given to me,” he said.

“I heard that some weeks later, they compensated families who lost their loved ones and those injured as a result of the explosion, they were given N2.5 million each, apart from that nothing came to me.”

Awe noted that the only assistance provided by the government was during the lockdown period of COVID-19 pandemic in which they were given 10 kilogrammes of rice for two families to share and 15 kilogrammes of beans with other food items.

“In May, I don’t know if it was the government, they came around, they said because of the explosion they wanted to share some relief materials,” he said.

“Some were given small bags of rice about 10 kg for two families to share, 15 kg bags of beans, and other things, that was all and after that nothing came to me, we have been expecting that they will do something, we’ve been hearing on the radio and television that they gave monies to those whose houses were affected.”

Awe urged the government to assist him in rebuilding his house.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, after the explosion, established a N2 billion emergency relief fund to support the victims of the explosion.

Kenneth Afor