The People’s Democratic Party [PDP] has asked the Federal government to confer a posthumous honour on late Rev. Sr. Henrietta Alokha of Bethlehem Girls College who lost her life while attempting to rescue trapped students of the school in a fire caused by an explosion at Abule Ado in Lagos State.

No fewer than 17 people died in the incident, with 25 others left injured.

The PDP in a statement signed its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, lamented the spate of the explosion while calling on the Federal government to recognize Rev. Alokha’s “heroic service”

The statement reads in part,

“The PDP is grieved by the traumatizing effect of the explosion on a school, which killed the school principal, Revd. Sist. Henrietta Alokha, and injured many of the students.

“Our party notes the heroic service rendered by Revd. Sister Alokha in saving no fewer than 300 students and losing her own life at the end.

“The PDP, therefore, urges the Federal Government to confer a worthy posthumous recognition in honour of Revd Sister Alokha.”

Meanwhile, the party also expressed concern over reoccurring explosions and disasters in Lagos state, while calling for a rejig of emergency management to strengthen the quick response to disasters.

“Our party is particularly worried about the spate of explosions and other avoidable disasters, particularly in Lagos and other strategic states, which raises grave public safety concerns in our nation’s commercial nerve centres,” the statement said.

“The party recalls that only in January, a pipeline explosion rocked Abule-Egba in Lagos state in which compatriots were killed in an inferno that razed valuables and brought anguish to many families.

“We, therefore, call for a rejig of the national emergency response in a manner that will educate Nigerians on how to prevent disasters.”

“Our party also holds that such an overhaul of the nation’s emergency management must strengthen quick responses to disasters by respective agencies of government and volunteer groups.”