Even when I was governor I still drove myself – Ex-Gov. Kontagora

Travelling is my hobby. I travel a lot. When I was much younger, I drove myself. Up to the recent time I don’t allow the driver to handle the steering on my behalf. I do it myself and it gives me a lot of joy. Beside, the way and manner people drive on our high […]

Travelling is my hobby. I travel a lot. When I was much younger, I drove myself. Up to the recent time I don’t allow the driver to handle the steering on my behalf. I do it myself and it gives me a lot of joy. Beside, the way and manner people drive on our high ways is a bit scary to people who are used to driving in the past.

The method of acquiring the driver’s license these days is a bit scary also. In the past, for you to get a driver’s license you are made to obtain learners permit three times. The fourth time you will go for a test.

You will start with road signs. If you fail the VIO will never help you out. You have to go and prepare again, get another date for your outdoor test.

These things don’t take place again because, I remember, I asked my son not to drive my car if he didn’t have a driver’s license, but he said “daddy, I have one.”   I said fine. If you do, come and show me the process of driving. But he couldn’t.

All he knows is just to start the car and move it. This gives me a bit of fear when I see people drive. So, I want to handle the steering myself.

Have you been disappointed by a driver?

No, I have not been disappointed by a driver, but I take it upon myself, even if I get a new driver, I put him through some basic things regarding the processes that are required in driving.

Driving is not just about moving the vehicle but reading the road properly. You need to read the traffic. It’s not about speeding signs, but the ability to read the road well and this is the difference between a driver and an experienced good driver.

When you were serving as military governor, did you have the privilege of driving yourself?

Yes, when I was governor I drove myself a lot. Not on official vehicles, but on my private trips, I drove myself.

Even with your personality then?

But I’m driving my personal car. I was not putting on the uniform and security people were probably in the other vehicles following me. I told you my hobby is travelling so, if I was going to Kaduna, for instance on a private visit, I drive myself.  The security could only give me a back-up that‘s all.

There is no big deal about it, though I will say the security situation at that time was much better, without any fear of encountering any form of attack. It’s interesting to drive yourself, very interesting.

At what period did you start driving yourself?

That was as far back as November 1978, when I obtained my driver’s license, but I had my learners permit sometime in June the same year.

Despite the training I had in the Army about driving, I had to go and obtain a learners permit three times before I went for driving test and was later given a driver’s license. I have been driving since 1978, I mean licensed driving.

While driving yourself, was there any particular time you had problem with the car and you were on your own, and what did you do?

Oh, I was much younger then and fortunately for me the army taught us a bit of vehicle maintenance so I had a tool box in my car.  On many occasions I stopped and rectified the ones I could do. It’s not a big deal. You only need to show interest.  On one occasion, I was going to Kaduna.  The vehicle developed a problem at Kadara.  I stopped to rectify the problem and I continued with my journey at about 9 pm. I got to Kaduna around 2 am. Though there are other things that are still necessary for the mechanic to do, but getting the vehicle fit for the journey at that hour, yes, I did that by myself.

What you are saying is that, no matter their personality or status, vehicle owners should take time off to drive their car to ascertain the fitness of their vehicles?

Yes, you should be able to drive your vehicle. It’s your own car, it does not belong to the driver. Fine, he may tell you something is wrong with the vehicle and you give him money to fix it but you need to drive it yourself to know what exactly is wrong with it. You need to know your vehicle for safe driving.

With your experience on the road, what will you say about driving in the country?

We should teach driving and we should be taught by qualified drivers. We have many driving schools around but when you see the way many of the instructors drive, you will know that they are not qualified to teach driving and, unfortunately, that is the driving habit the learner will imbibe. He is a wrong driver teaching you the wrong attitude to driving. I think the first thing that should be taught is knowing the vehicle because most of the break -down of vehicles on our roads are caused by the lack of knowledge about the vehicle by their owners. When the sound of a vehicle changes you should know that there is something wrong, but if you don’t have that knowledge you will just continue going until the vehicle refuses to go any further.