The awareness campaign was launched in Yaounde yesterday by the Minister of Energy and Water Resources.
A campaign caravan today toured some neighbourhoods of the nation’s capital within the framework of an awareness campaign to sensitize the public on the dangers linked to the wrong handling and fraudulent acquisition and storage of petroleum products. Jointly organised by the Department of the Petroleum Products and the Gas Population Awareness Project of the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources and the Société Camerounaise des Dépots Pétroliers (SCDP), the campaign was to get the population alert of the multiple socio-economic hazards of mishandling petroleum products. Fire accidents, skin cancer and engine destructions are said to be some catastrophes and illnesses that emerge from petroleum mismanagement. The campaign is also to educate, vendors, buyers and users of petrol on the devastating consequences that come up as a result of the abusive use of petroleum products and if possible put an end to the phenomenon of disaster- related accidents.
The campaign targets areas like Bota, Limbe, in the South West Region, considered as the peak zone in the illicit importation of petroleum, Akwa-Nord in the Littoral Region known for its fraudulent activities linked to petrol, Kousseri and Yagoua in the Far North where bike riders have resorted to locally brewed fuel, Mbankomo where the use of “zoua zoua” is gaining grounds and the borders of the South Region where the illegal importation and exportation of petroleum products is also on the increase.
Speaking as he officially whistled the take-off of the campaign, the Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Michael Ngako Tomdio, reiterated the important role petrol plays to the economy of Cameroon and for the wellbeing of the population. He therefore urged all to be cautious and alert in a bit to avoid petroleum disasters.
The campaign comes on the heals of significant human and material loss, which has not only gone a long way to render families gloomy but also, affected the economy. Estimates hold that Cameroon’s economy lost over FCFA 32 million and five billion in 2001/2002 and 2003 respectively from the fraudulent handling of petroleum products. Some scenes that provoked the campaign include the Nsam disaster of February 14, 1998 where two wagons exploded and caused enormous material and human loss, rendering others disabled and homeless. The explosion of a truck on the Mungo Bridge on July 1, 2004 where human and material damage was equally caused and access to the South West Region rendered practically impossible for some years. The locality of Limani in the North Region was also on the records in August 27, 2008 where another truck accident led to the burning of several vehicles and human loss. In October 2008, another accident occurred in Souza from illicit petrol, leading to the loss of several shops.
