Ejiro Otarigho, a 46-year-old driver who drove a burning fuel tanker away from a community in Delta state, has said he wants another tanker and not national honor.
Applesbite recalls that Otarigho, was hailed and commended after he drove his tanker which caught fire at a residential area to a river bank.
.The upper legislative chamber had also asked President Muhammadu Buhari to confer Otarigho with a “befitting national honor as he may deem fit for his extraordinary act of bravery, courage and skill that prevented the loss of human lives and property on a massive scale”.
Otarigho disclosed that he had been driving the tanker for 12 years and had received a commendation from the Delta state government for driving the truck to a location where there will be no disaster.
He, however, noted that he would prefer to have his tanker replaced rather than get a national honor.
“I have received calls from them (Delta state government) but I am not interested in any national honor of any sort right now.
“I know God has brought me to a good place where my story is now being told. All I want is a replacement for my burnt tanker so I can go back to my job.
“I have just been at home and truck driving was the only way I fed. It has not been easy for me since I lost my tanker,” he said.
Asked if he would like to get a new job and abandon the dangerous business of tanker driving, he said, “Of course, I will. It is a risky job.
“Imagine if I had died that day, nothing would have been said of me. If the government has something better for me, I will do it without looking back. All I want is to be able to take care of myself and my family legitimately.”
Akinshola Akintelure is a Content Writer, a tech savvy and Social Media Manager.