As the year 2015 enters the “ember” months, the member representing Udu/Ughelli North and South Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Hon. Solomon Ahwinahwihas appealed to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to double efforts and help save lives in the task of maintaining safety on our roads and highways.
Chief Ahwinahwi made the call during his visit to a road accident victim, Mrs Florence Akporode, who lost one of her legs after being knocked down through reckless driving involving a heavy-duty utility truck and a bullion van of one of the old generation banks, along Udu Road near Warrri in Delta State, recently.
The Ezomo of Agbarho Kingdom lamented the high rate of casualty and fatal mishaps on Nigerian roads, adding that road users, especially those on wheels, must be extra careful not to constitute nuisance or cause avoidable deaths of innocent citizens.
According to him, “We must all engage in the art of defensive driving so as to prevent untimely deaths and preventable misfortunes in view of an increase in the tempo of commercial activities in both big and small cities and towns across the country. We must complement the efforts of government and the FRSC by observing all traffic laws, avoiding over-speeding, drunk driving and outright negligence,” he stressed.
Chief Ahwinahwi who donated cash among other clinical items to the accident victim, warned all banks and other corporate organisations, especially those operating in Ughelli/Udu Federal Constituency to call their drivers as well as transport managers to order, declaring that the Udu Road incident involving a tipper, a bank and Mrs Akporode who has already lost one leg and even the other broken, will not be swept under carpet.
The lawmaker disclosed that the issue will be brought to the floor of the House of Representatives after which necessary legal actions would be instituted and the culprits brought to book in line with provisions of the law.
Relating her ordeal, the visibly devastated Mrs Florence Akporode explained how a tipper truck loaded with materials, in a bid to dodge a high-speeding bullion van of a bank with a branch along Udu Road, driving against traffic, ran into her where she was, away from the road, crushing her legs and rendering her incapacitated, she said in tears.
Those who accompanied Chief Solomon Ahwinahwi on the visit include the vice chairman of Udu Local Government Area, Hon. Esther Omene and other PDP stalwarts: Chief Okiemute Oviri, Dr James Omorovwon, Chief Gabriel Ojoba, Emudia Akponyoma, Chief Mathew Kwode, Evang. (Hon) Siluko, amongst others.
