THE OJODU TRUCK ACCIDENT

Law enforcement officers are causing mounting anxiety on the roads. It shouldn’t be so

Amid the agonising death of Sylvester Oromoni, the 12-year-old student of Dowen College allegedly in the hands of bullies, the lives of two other innocent students were brutally cut short in Lagos last Tuesday. The students were returning home from school when an articulated truck, driven recklessly, lost control and rammed into them. Two died on the spot with 14 others sustaining varying degrees of injuries. While we commiserate with the parents and management of Ojodu Grammar School, the circumstances of the accident are all too familiar: poor vehicle maintenance, irresponsible driving, and pathetic regulation.

Road traffic accidents over the years have become a major public health issue. And most of them are caused by truck drivers who kill, maim and abuse the rights of other road users. Besides being high on alcohol or other drugs, many of these truck drivers have scant regards for road regulations as they always act as though above the law. Poor vehicle maintenance perhaps contributed largely to the Ojudu crash as the brake of the truck reportedly failed, and in the process endangered the lives of many innocent road users. A similar accident occurred on the Ojuelegba Bridge, Lagos in 2015 which killed three members of the same family and other relations.

However, many of these accidents can also be traced to the antics of largely compromised regulators. There are reports suggesting that the truck driver who killed in Lagos was being pursued by some of these agents of state who most often use their position to extort on the road. Indeed, only a fortnight ago the House of Representatives asked the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, to immediately remove all illegal checkpoints across the country following the fatal auto accident that reportedly claimed the lives of over 20 persons at Ihiala, Anambra State. A trailer carrying a container load of goods reportedly ran over them. The House mandated the IGP to direct the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State to review the location of the police checkpoint in Ihiala with a view to forestalling further occurrence of such disaster especially during the festive season. Earlier on 4th November, an accident involving three vehicles had claimed the lives of three children and six adults according to the FRSC. The driver upon sighting the Police checkpoint, reportedly stepped on his brake which failed, resulting in the fatal accident.

Even though LASTMA officials have denied any involvement in the Ojodu accident, few believe them. We agree on the need to check the illegality and nuisance caused by worn-out heavy-duty trailers and smoking trucks which are responsible for many of the road accidents. But there are better ways of apprehending erring drivers than chasing them on dangerous and busy roads like those in Lagos. From the police to vehicle inspection officers, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, and even officials of the Federal Roads Safety Corps, that seems to be the preferred method.

We have stated repeatedly in this space, even as we do so again, that the authorities must do something about the wanton loss of innocent lives being caused by these mad drivers. For years, many Nigerians have been at the mercy of drivers whose daredevilry on the road have claimed the lives of numerous innocent citizens. The FRSC should be alive to its primary responsibility as the lead agency in Nigeria on road safety administration and management, making the inner as well as the highways safe for motorists and other road users. Truck drivers, other motorists and members of the public should be regularly educated on the importance of road discipline.