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 honour.
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 honour 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”.
Speaking in an interview with The Punch, 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 honour.
“I have received calls from them (Delta state government) but I am not interested in any national honour 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.”
