THE Rivers State has described as insensitive the failure of the Port Harcourt refinery fire service department to respond to a fire outbreak at Ogoloma community in Okrika.
The Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari told The Guardian that the state government would formally express its disenchantment to the management of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
But a source at the refinery that pleaded anonymity disclosed to The Guardian that the management never gave such directives.
Community sources disclosed to The Guardian that the fire started at about 5 a.m. at a private resident at Ogoloma causing serious pandemonium. This spurred the council to contact the refinery, but officials of the fire department said they have been directed not to respond to external fire incident.
Following the failure to secure the assistance of the refinery fire team, the community people rallied together and extinguished the fire and prevented it from spreading to other buildings. At the end, over 23 persons were injured and have been hospitalised.
Outraged by this, the Commissioner for Information condemned the attitude of the refinery officials.
"There was a fire outbreak in Ogoloma community in Okrika, the NNPC refinery fire truck refused to send when requested to assist despite the fact that it was their host community. The community had to battle until the Rivers State Fire Service arrived to put out the fire. The NNPC reaction is most unfortunate and unacceptable," she said.
The Guardian