Torrential tears flowed, yelling and crying rented the air as hundreds of sympathizers watched helplessly, seeing their fellow humans reeling in an excruciating pain, in a gruesome process wheeled them to their early grave.
They were victims of an auto crash, known as “Black Wednesday” that metermophosed into tanker explosion on Felele highway in Lokoja, capital of the confluence kogi state on September 23, 2020.
The victims perished not because they committed any offence but because something went wrong and fate beckoned on them in such a terrible manner that set tongues wagging.
A multiple accident involving a diesel carrying articulated vehicle spelt a tragedy of monumental proportion that consumed the life of an estimated 23 souls, including a couple with six of their children and other precious lives.
The Governor of kogi state,Alhaji Yayaha Bello, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Onogwu Muhammed, described the accident as one the worst tragedies in the state in recent time. But members of the public liken the Felele accident to” Black Wednesday” the sad memory of which will linger for many years to come.
President Muhammadu Buhari commiserated with the families of the victims in a statement signed by Garba Shehu, his Senior Special Assistant on (Media and Publicity).
Garba qouted the president as saying that the death of 23 people in the autocrash,as confirmed by the Federal Road Safety Commission”represents another disturbing and saddening incident in the litany of tragedies that have befallen our country.”
Without any oita of thought of the tragedy lurking, residents of Lokoja, particularly those residing in Felele community, had their happiness cut short,following the early morning accident involving an articulated vehicle and other vehicles along the busy Felele highway.
Eyewitnesses had it that the driver of the articulated vehicle, loaded with diesel, experienced break failure while descending from the crusher section of the toward the Nataco axis onword journey to the northern part of the country and rammed into several on coming vehicles.
Before anybody could pronounce “Jack Robinson”, one of the worst instances in human tragedy set in, manifesting in tattered, burnt and mangled bodies, while the lucky victims sustained various degrees of injury and off loaded for medical treatment.
The Governor of kogi state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Onogwu Muhammed, expressed shock over the incident describing it as one of the worst tragedies in recent time in the state.
The Felele autocrash may have not been caused bad road perse, as the road particularly the portion where the accident happened, enjoys relative fair physical condition.
However the feeling of some Nigerians is that, such terrible development in human history once more brings to fore the urgent need for the three tiers of government to give the needed attention to repairs of roads.The argument, based on piece of empirical evidence shows that many of the road accidents in Nigeria are caused by the deplorable condition of the roads,followed by human factor.
Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, who was deeply touched by the accident was incidentally was with the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola in Abuja to urge the Federal government for the repair of federal roads in the state.
Governor, who went to see Fashola in the wake of the accident, traced many road accidents in the state to bad condition of such roads.
The governor told the minister that the deplorable state of all federal roads across the state led to recurrent accidents in the state.
He said the state government had done a lot in maintaining the roads but that owing to the large volume of traffic on them and inview of strategic location of kogi as gateway state, such repairs and maintenance could not stand the test of time.
Bello appealed to the minister to expedite action in carrying out reconstruction of roads across the state to curtail the preventable accidents on the road.
He also appealed to Fashola to direct contractors handling repairs on the Murtala Bridge, Jamata, to speed up the rate of work, noting that the slow pace of work had caused the commuters untold hardship.
Bello told the minister that he was personally be on ground on the Lokoja -Abuja road, on July 26 to help other agencies to control the gridlock caused on the Lokoja -Abuja road as a result of the damaged portion of the bridge.
He advised the minister to direct the contractors handling the Kabba-Ilorin road to return to site, noting that the total neglect of the road had made life unbearable for motorists and commuters plying the road.
The governor also drew the attention of the minister to the Lokoja-Ganaja-Ajaokuta road which he said the federal government awarded over the three years ago but contractors were yet to be seen on site.
Reacting to the governor’s request, Fashola directed the Federal Road Maintenance Agency(FEMA) to immediately move into action to fix bad portions of the road at the Felele end of the Okene/Lokoja/Abuja road.
The minister said he also put calls across to contractors handling Kabba-Egbe-Omuaro road, Okene-Lokoja-Abuja road, to inform them of the governor’s presence in his office and the need for them to speed up the works on the roads.
He assured the governor that the ministry would use the remaining part of the year to achieve more in fulfilling his request in respect of federal roads in the state.
Members of the public perceive what transpired between Bello and Fashola, regarding the tragedy, as a stitch in time that is expected to safe nine and stem the frightening rate of road accident in many cases occasion bybbad road not only in kogi state but also the country at large.
Mr Abraham Issah,a resident of Felele, who said that he escaped the accident by the sheer face of God, called on the Federal government to do more in putting roads in motorable condition to effectively check the rate of accident in the country.
“Almost on a daily basis, we hear of road accident in many states of the federation, the Felele accident is just typical of such sad story and bad has been identified as one of the causes. It, therefore, follows that government needs to enhance efforts to ensure good roads for the citizens.
“Beyond the imperative of repairing roads also lies the need for the Nigeria Police and the Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC) to intensify their public enlightenment programme toward reducing road accident to the minimum,” he said.
Another Felele resident, Miss Roseline Ajibade, called on FRSC to increase efforts in subjecting drivers, especially articulated and truck drivers, to rigorous psychological test to know the degree of their health and capability to drive on roads.
“There are many of these drivers, especially those driving heavy vehicles who cannot driver without being under the influence of hard drugs or alcohol with all the attendant negative consequences to their health and the members of the public.
” There is also the need for individuals and companies that own articulated vehicle to ensure that the vehicles are in good mechanical condition before putting them on road.
“Individuals and companies owing such class of vehicles should be subjected to heavy fine or penalty, including prison terms,if found culpable of causing of accident due to mechanical defect in such vehicles during the accident.
“This will deter others in their shoe and check road accidents, especially those involving articulated vehicles in the country,” she said.
Reacting to the tragedy, the Marafa of Oworoland comprising Felele community, Dr Denja Abul, called on the appropriate to revisit the law onset back to high way in the country.
The title holder who noted the town planning law mandates anybody building houses to set back some metres away from the road expressed concern that people no longer observe the law.
According to him,the impact of the accident was much on the houses close to the road, because they were too close to the road.
“Had it been that this town planning is observed, many houses touched during the would have been saved.
The Marafa also called on the Federal government to consider suitable alternative road to Felele road that accommodate, especially articulated vehicles, to reduce road accident in the area.
No doubt, the submissions of the public on the ways forward toward reducing road accident in the country are apt and will go along way in serving invaluable purpose, if made use of by the appropriate authorities in road and traffic management.
This is because they serve as a stitch in time that saves nine.
As kogi state government declares two-day mourning in honour of the victims of the accident, may the souls of the dead rest in peace and those that sustained injuries, quick and sound recovery.
Ahmed is a media consultant,a blogger and a public affairs analyst.
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