Between Bidemi, Sumbo and Okere

Just as I was contemplating on my piece for this week, my friend Chris Nwandu alerted me on another tragedy involving  29-year-old Sumbo who died just a month before her wedding date. Sumbo, according to the report,  was on her way to see family members on arrangements regarding the wedding when the tragedy struck. This […]

Just as I was contemplating on my piece for this week, my friend Chris Nwandu alerted me on another tragedy involving  29-year-old Sumbo who died just a month before her wedding date. Sumbo, according to the report,  was on her way to see family members on arrangements regarding the wedding when the tragedy struck. This incident, according to my friend, involved a commuter bus and a trailer. There was yet another tragedy: the death of Colonel Emeka Okere, former Sergeant at Arms at the National Assembly
I never met Bidemi, neither did I know Sumbo. However, I met Colonel Emeka whom I would prefer to refer to in this piece as Emeka just once. Though I was never enlisted into the Nigerian Army, but I can boldly declare that he was a soldier to the core. Our meeting was incidental. I had just been posted to the Federal Capital Territory in 2005 as Sector Commander from Imo State where I was Sector Commander for barely eight months.  Shortly, on assumption, I proceeded on courtesy visits to various offices including that of the Clerk of the Assembly. After the visit,  I stopped over to see the late Colonel whose flowery praise of the Corps made me taller than I am. That brief meeting left me with great admiration for Emeka.
We never met again at close range until recently when the news of his death hit me. According to a report by The Nation, Colonel Okere was involved in a crash shortly after leaving the National Assembly sometime in February 2012 to inspect the construction of some additional security structures at the gate of the National Assembly. The report quoted a source who said that “He was driving home after checking some additional security structures being erected at the National Assembly  gate when a motorist veered off its track and headed straight for him near the Defence College in Garki’. In an effort to avert a head-on collision, Okere veered off the road and hit a pole,” speaking over this tragedy, Senate President, David Mark described him as a very hardworking and passionate officer who believed in the Unity of Nigeria. He recalled his days with Okere at the Nigeria Military School, Zaria and later in their working career and described him as an intelligent officer who served the nation meritoriously in different capacities. Similar accolodates must have been poured on the tough but amiable and soft spoken Colonel. Same for Bidemi and Sumbo. Same for those not lucky to survive crashes caused by one irresponsible  driver. As I write, I am not aware of the fate of the driver responsible for Emeka’s crash and ultimate death. Maybe he died also. Maybe he sustained injuries but survived the crash. Whatever his plight, Emeka is no more. His family has been left behind to mourn his loss and to suffer the trauma of losing a loved one; one who served his country and was neither felled by the enemy’s bullet nor of terrorists. He did not die travelling on a long distance journey or on a night trip. He died through a crash caused by a reckless and irresponsible driver.
Contrast his crash and other road traffic crashes with the recent Malaysian airline crash. Another monumental tragedy of our time.  But unlike the Malaysian crash victims which attracted the whole world attention, drawing sympathy from experts on what may have triggered the crash, Emeka’s death, like those of Bidemi and Sumbo, has since been swept underneath. Few analysis. Few concerns, except from close friends and families. Daily, crashes resulting in deaths, injuries and disabilities rarely attract the kind of attention that air crashes do. This was my concern when I wrote on Between Air and Road Crashes. Airlines Pilots all get the sledge hammer when there are crashes. Unfortunately, the reverse is the case when there is road crash. It is either swept underneath or the blame shifted to Government for its numerous failures. Nobody x-rays the spate of irresponsible driving which society has tacitly endorsed as cool.
“Our involvement in road safety support is not solely about crash prevention. Our ultimate aim is the prevention of crash-related fatalities and severe injuries. This we do through a double pronged approach: supporting crash prevention and post crash care support. ……… Many road crashes can be prevented if pedestrians and motorists obey traffic laws”.
Throwing more light on the partnership with FRSC, he said, ’’Within our second key area, Post Crash Care, we are focused on three main areas: crash rescue capacity strengthening for road safety and traffic management agencies across Nigeria, which commenced with 100 officers from FRSC, Nigeria Police, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Traffic Management Authority in Rivers State”. He equally spoke on the National Community Post
Crash Initiative, the volunteer rescue initiative, which was inaugurated at the handing over of the rescue equipment. The post crash care initiative leverages on a wonderful aspect of our culture – helping one another. It utilizes a key resource, the humane road side community member, who normally rushes out to assist when a crash occurs. These lay bystanders are normally the first to the scene and due to limitations in formal emergency services, are sometimes the only available support for crash victims in rural areas, where a vast number of fatal road crashes occur. Unfortunately due to a lack of skills and tools, they are often unable to provide requisite assistance.
Within this programme, SHELL is providing basic crash rescue and first aid training for the volunteers, as well as fully equipped, non invasive, crash rescue kits for each volunteer. Commencing with 540 volunteers from states across the nation, within the pilot phase, providing these skills and the requisite tools will enable the volunteer provide effective assistance to victims, within the critical minutes after the crash. This, it is strongly believed, will make a difference in the outcomes for many victims of road traffic crashes
Our wish for Nigeria is a reversal of the upward trend of road crashes. This is possible but can only be achieved if it is the focus of every organization and individual. Your contribution as an individual can be as simple as assisting the volunteer rescuers or calling 122, the toll free FRSC emergency number, if you witness a crash.