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Install carbon monoxide detectors in cars, others, Senate urges Nigerians



The Senate, on Wednesday, called on Nigerians to install and use carbon monoxide detectors in their vehicles, offices and dwelling places to preserve their lives from hazardous effect of carbon monoxide.

It also urged the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Federal Ministry of Information, Federal Ministry of Labour, etc, to create awareness through radio, television and newspapers among Nigerian workers and employers on the need to imbibe the culture of using the detectors.

The resolution followed a motion by Sen. Gbolahan Dada (APC-Ogun) at a plenary presided over by Senate President Bukola Saraki in Abuja.

Moving the motion, Dada noted that apart from deaths occurring from various security challenges in the country, many Nigerians are also losing their lives to devastating effect of carbon monoxide in motor vehicles, houses, offices, workshops and factories on daily basis.

He further said that carbon monoxide is a silent killer that has no smell, taste or sound which made it difficult for a person inhaling it to detect it.

”The deadly carbon monoxide is a bye- product of combustion through gas fires, oil burning furnaces, portable generators, charcoal grills, etc.

”The Senate is disturbed that in Nigeria, a high fatality figure of carbon monoxide

poisoning is recorded while globally, 86,353 people died from unintentional poisonings worldwide in 2015 with 78,054 about 50 per cent of deaths occurring in low and middle income countries.

”Also, a report by Global Burden of Disease 2005 shows that in the United States, between 1999 and 2000, a total of 5,149 deaths occurred from carbon monoxide poisoning,” he said.

The lawmaker expressed concern that ”at the moment, nothing is on ground to create awareness on the devastating effect of carbon monoxide.”

According to him, if nothing is done by the legislature, innocent Nigerians will continue to be exposed to the avoidable health hazards likely to terminate their lives ultimately.

When the motion was put on a voice vote by Saraki, it was unanimously adopted by the lawmakers.