• Preach Road Caution As Accident Claims 18 Lives
•…Urge Makinde To Erect Road Signals, Speed Breakers
Revelations coming from the Saturday’s ghastly accident at the Iseyin end of the Moniya-Iseyin road has shown that nine members of Baptist Church in Ibadan were among the 18 dead passengers.
The Chronicler Newspaper learnt on Sunday that a reverend father and eight of the church members were in the bus that was coming from Saki which collided with the one coming from Ibadan.
Sources close to one of the victims revealed that the nine church members went to Saki for a ceremony and were on their way back when the incident occurred.
The bodies of the nine were deposited at Our Lady Hospital in Iseyin, apart from those deposited at FADOK hospital, also in Iseyin.
The wife of of the reverend father of the yet to be identified church, who was still in comma as at the time of publishing this report suffered broken legs and arms, yet to know the status of her husband and other members involved in the accident.
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government has been enjoined to urgently put in place, speed breakers at locations like ‘Serafu’, kilometer 2 Cattle market and the Iseyin Muslim Burial ground junction along Iseyin-Moniya road to dissuade motorists from over-speeding.
This is as the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Abdganiy Salawudeen Adekunle Oloogunebi Ajinese 1, called on motorists to value human lives and exercise patience during the months that end the year.
A member of Oyo State House of Assembly, representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju State constituency, Honorable Dele Adeola also called for immediate erection of necessary road signals and speed breakers to guide users of the newly reconstructed road and prevent unnecessary accidents.
In a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday and signed by the National President , Iseyin Development Union (I.D.U), Alhaji Bayo Raji, the call said to be imperative as many lives and properties have been lost to road carnage along the newly reconstructed 76kilometer road.
Raji said the areas mentioned have villages or markets where human and vehicular movements are always high as well as sharp bends need speed breakers to force motorists into reducing their speed.
“We pray for the souls of the dead in this ghastly accident and many more incidents that have claimed lives, limbs and properties because of over-speeding by drivers along our roads and their families that the Lord Almighty give them the strength to bear the loss.
“We also beseech our governor, who has always listened and acted in accordance with the yearnings of the people to please call the contractor to put speed breakers at critical points along this road, like the ‘Serafu’ market, the kilometer 2 cattle market, some villages where activities are rife as well as the junction at the Iseyin Muslim burial ground.
“We believe that as the speed breakers have worked in reducing speed of motorists at the Ibadan end of this road, the same sanity will prevail at the Iseyin end as well and we shall not witness such waste of lives anymore.”
Raji also called on the leadership of the Park Management System in the State to caution commercial drivers, especially during the ‘ember’ months, on their speed control.
