OJO ISAAC writes that as part of efforts toward reducing the rate of fatal accident involving tipper drivers in the industrial town of Nnewi, Anambra state, the tipper drivers association has set up a special taskforce to monitor the activities of members.
The chairman of the association, Chief Arinze Ulasi who was speaking with Authority Newspaper South East Post in his office said the need to set up a high powered taskforce was necessitated by incessant fatal accidents involving tipper drivers.
The latest of the accident occurred recently at Igwe Orizu junction, along the Otolo-Nnewi road, which claimed the life of one person and left another with serious injuries.
A first information report from the Anambra Sector command of the Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC) stated that the injured was rushed to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi while the remains of the dead was deposited at Akwudo Hospital mortuary also in Nnewi.
The FRSC’s Senior Public Education Officer, RC Pascal Anigbo in his statement which was distributed to journalists idisclosed that the crash involved a Mercedes Benz Tipper Lorry and a Yamaha Mate90 Motorcycle both of which had no visible registration number. That the unfortunate incident occurred at about 12.05pm on Sunday 16 February, 2020 at Igwe Orizu Junction, along Nnewi-Otolo Road, Nnewi.
Chief Ulasi however said the driver of the ill-fated tipper did not actually run away but escaped from the scene of the accident and reported himself at a nearby police station.
He pointed out that a rejuvenated taskforce which he personally oversee would regulate the activities of tipper drivers in the zone.
The chairman said the taskforce is working hand in hand with security agencies to flush out the bad eggs among the drivers.
“I am personally heading the taskforce and we are monitoring the activities of our members more than before, we are tired of hearing the bad reports concerning our members. Policemen, DSS, civil defense and even NDLEA are involved in the efforts to sanitize the group.
“We also want to appeal to the Anambra State government to help out and work on some dillapidated roads in Nnewi, we took up on ourselves to sandfill potholes in the town at certain time but there is urgent need for the government to thoroughly rehabilitate the dillapidated roads.” He noted.
Chief Ulasi however noted that the Igwe Orizu road accident was actually caused by the victim who attempted to overtake the tipper from the right side and in the process escaped the view angle of the driver. He noted that most of the accidents involving tippers and motorcycles are always caused by motorcyclists trying to overtake from the wrong side.
He passionately appealed to motorcyclists especially okada riders and underaged riders in the industrial town of Nnewi to be very careful while overtaking tippers and other articulated vehicles to avoid negative consequences.
