Nigeria`s Vice President who is a front runner for the ticket his party, the All Progressive Congress, APC has reportedly “lend assistance” to some accident victims in Abuja.
However, let us not be in a hurry to say, well-done Prof! It is worth taking a closer look at the matter.
Shall we forget in a hurry that Nigerian roads is a death trap and has been so for as long as Prof Yemi Osinbajo and Muhammadu Buhari have been in power?
Shall we forget so soon how so many of our people, both young and old have either died, kidnapped or injured on Abuja roads in particular within the last 7 years of Buhari and Osinbajo administration.
It is reported that Between January and 19th November 2021, the FCT sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), disclosed that “at least 159 people died and 1572 were injured in 859 road accidents in Abuja”
Now, the Vice President is said to have “lend assistance” to victims of just of this avoidable accident, who were caught in the death trap the government left on this Abuja road for the past 7 years.
This happened while he was on his way to Owo, Ogun State where some Fulani Headers are said to be responsible for the heinous attack at a catholic church were more than 50 people lost their lives.
As a matter of convenience and political advantage predicated on the blood of victims of this road accident and the many who died in the Owo church massacre, the VPs campaign team was quick to attempt to score some points for his boss.
It was Osinbajo`s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, who made this disclosure on his tweeter handle on Monday. He was the perfect agent chosen by the VPs campaign team to sell this to Nigerians.
“The VP heads out to Owo, (Ondo State this morning) where worshippers were heinously attacked yesterday resulting in many casualties. He will deliver president’s condolences and message in person.”
“On his way to the airport this morning, VP came across a road traffic accident, stopped to lend assistance, & ensured victim was taken to the hospital with VP’s convoy ambulance. He then proceeded on his trip and is now in Ondo State heading to the site of yesterday’s attack in Owo.” Tweeted the Media aid
A very gory report from the country`s data agency, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which dates back to 2013 indicates the magnitude of the danger posed to Nigerians from the roads their government abandoned them to ply daily.
The NBS record shows that number “of people lost to road accidents across Nigeria from January 2013 to June 2018 is as follows: 2013, 5,539; 2014, 4,430; 2015, 5,400; 2016, 5,053; 2017, 5,049; and in the first half of 2018, 2,623.”
As analyzed in a media report in Thisday “These data clearly show that at least 28,000 lives were sent to their graves in just 68 months. That is approximately 415 people per month, 14 persons daily, and an individual every two hours.
“In May 2017, the FRSC revealed that there were over 33 deaths per 100,000 people nationally every year. The report made Nigeria one of the nations with the largest number of fatalities on the continent. Unfortunately, two years after, not much has changed.”
In concluding, Thisday reporter wrote in March 2022, “Appropriate road signs are also requirements for harmonious driving. The nation stands to gain greatly from a capital that ceases to unwittingly jeopardise the lives of its road users.”
Therefore, more than making the tragedy of this unfortunate road users a media and campaign advantage to launder the image of the Vice President in the ongoing politics of 2023, Osinbajo and his media team can do better.
The VP`s campaign team or perhaps the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, as the mouth piece they choose in this case, should have also told the nation what plans the Vice President and his government has in place to avoid further deaths on Abuja roads.
