– Union accuses Works Commissioner Of Negligence
- – Sends SOS To Governor
Disaster was averted by the whiskers over the weekend when a loaded truck said to be moving from Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital to Lagos, suddenly lost control and summersalted at a point in front of the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Imo State Council.
The accident which led to the total blockage of the road with attendant traffic jam, complicated issues for motorists, some of who were stranded for hours because, the truck blocked the entire road.
An eyewitness who simply identified herself as Joy, a shop owner in the vicinity, said, it was God that saved them.
‘’The accident occurred shortly after we finished working on Sunday, June 4. We had locked our shops and were about to go home. If we were still in the shop when the accident occurred, the story would have been different ’’.
Responding to a question, she said, ‘’I don’t know the whereabout of the driver and his conductor who were whisked away while they were still unconscious’’.
Commenting on the development, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists in Imo State, Comrade Precious Nwadike, accused the Commissioner for Works, Barr Raph Nwsou of negligence, adding that, sometime last year, he drew the attention of the commissioner to the dangerous pot holes which had become death traps on the road.
‘’I called and told the Honourable Commissioner to embark on remedial measures to avoid life threatening hazards that may arise from the dangerous pot holes. But surprisingly, he did not do anything uptill this moment. I am still wondering why the road was left in such a deplorable state, considering its busy nature, the volume of traffic and its importance as a major link between Imo State, Rivers, Ebonyi etc’’.
‘’If the Commissioner for Works, Barr Raph Nwosu had proactively addressed the situation, especially when his attention was drawn to it, this accident would have been averted. However, it is better late than never. If the road remains the way it is, there is the tendency that more fatal accidents will occur there. And who knows, who will be the next victim. The state government should as a matter of urgency embark on remedial action, though belatedly. A responsible government should be responsive and answerable to the people whose mandate it holds in trust. It should also feel their pulse and carry them along’ in the scheme of the things”.
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