HELL ON THE HIGHWAY…

It was a tragic end for at least ten persons burnt to death in a multiple accident near Mowe in the Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of Ogun state in the wee hour of yesterday. The auto mishap that occurred few metres to Redeemed Camp involved a trailer loaded with petroleum product which rammed into some trucks parked along the sideways of the popular dual carriage way.

According to an eyewitness account, the accident occurred when a Lagos bound trailer with number plate, Kebbi, XB370ZUR rammed into some of the petrol tankers haphazardly parked on the two sides of the expressway.

The witness further stated that immediately after the collision, the tankers went up in flames, burning both the heavy trucks parked along the road and some motor boys caught unaware. The accident caused heavy traffic jam along the every busy road, forcing many motorists and passengers to divert their routes. It was a hectic day for officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), and the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, (TRACE) as well as the Police controlling traffic. An official of the FRSC who spoke with Daily Sun on condition of anonymity, lamented the accident, recalling that there had been frantic efforts by the Commission to dissuade truck drivers from parking haphazardly on the expressway.

“It is a sad event, but we have tried to no avail to dissadude drivers from parking along the road, because of accident like this,” he lamented. Reacting to the accident yesterday, the concessionaire of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Bi-Courtney Highway Services Limited, noted that it had always complained that trailers parking on the roadside are hazardous.

The concessionaire said it had created eight temporary trailer parks along the expressway to take heavy trucks off the road shoulders, but drivers still park carelessly along the road. “You will recollect that the concessionaire has offered to build permanent trailer parks on the road, which could have solved the problem, but the move did not receive the support of the Ogun State government through the acquisition of land.

“You will also recollect that at the swearing-in ceremony of Ibikunle Amosun as the governor of Ogun State he promised to build some parks within 90 days and actually took possession, although unlawfully, of Bi-Courtney’s land, meant for the asphalt plant, ostensibly to build a trailer park.”The signposts of the trailer park are to be found at the location but nothing more seems to have happened.