On Tuesday, 10th September 2024, I was on my way back to the city, having spent the previous night with a friend resident on the international airport road axis of Abuja. I had left his place at about 7 am. in a bid to make it back home early prior to several engagements I had lined up for the day.
On a normal day, the drive to Garki, should not be more than 30 minutes, but knowing that anything could happen on our roads, I prepared myself to make it in no more than 45 minutes. I soon noticed that I had very little fuel in my car and so veered into a nearby filling station, where I learned that a liter of fuel sold for over a thousand Naira. Not having a choice, I decided to buy a small quantity that would at least take me to my favorite filling station in Central Area, where I would make my normal purchase.
Leaving the filling station, I headed towards the city with my radio set tuned to a new radio station where a friend of mine had just been appointed General Manager. As I arrived at the Lugbe area on the airport road, I could see a buildup of traffic ahead, which was unusual. I therefore assumed it must be due to a minor incident and should soon be cleared up.
As I kept edging forward, however, I noticed that rather than thin out, the traffic was conversely increasing in density. This baffled me, as I knew that traffic buildup on the incoming axis of the airport road usually occurred around the city gate, and sometimes around the Lokogoma/Jabi overpass. Unfortunately, this particular buildup was occurring in the middle of where there should ordinarily be free flowing traffic.
At this point, I decided to veer to the curb so as to make a proper assessment of what was happening, bearing in mind my fuel situation. As I pulled to the curb, I observed other drivers do the same, and in no time, there were quite a number of vehicles parked by the roadside observing the unusual traffic situation. After a time, some of us alighted from our vehicles and from the conversations that ensued, I learnt that a container laden heavy-duty vehicle had tipped over either late the previous night, or early that morning and was completely blocking the road ahead.
This was very depressing news, and before I could process it, a look over to the other side of the expressway revealed vehicles heading to the city on the opposite lanes, much against traffic rules. In no time as well, vehicles on our lane started reversing in the middle of traffic, with a view to finding a way to use the opposite lanes, which were moving smoothly. The rightful road users heading towards the airport had to take evasive measures to avoid a collision with the overwhelming number of those driving against traffic.
It was then I put a call through to the friend with whom I had my first appointment in order to acquaint him with my present situation. When I mentioned where I was, he confirmed that he had been on that axis earlier in the morning and had seen the offending vehicle which blocked the entire highway, he then suggested we moved our meeting to another day, which I readily agreed.
By now, there were no more vehicles coming from the city towards the airport, as the vehicles heading towards the city had completely taken over the traffic in the opposite direction. In the distance, however, I noticed the Federal Road Safety Commission branded vehicles, a crane, and a lorry, making their way to the scene of the accident about 500m ahead. I breathed a sigh of relief in the belief that in a few minutes, our ordeal would be over. By now, I was back inside my car, making frantic calls to my associates, and fiddling with my car radio set for any updates on the traffic situation. But there was nothing of the sort, as the stations continued with their regular programs as if nothing was amiss.
Over an hour after the arrival of the FRSC on the scene with no change in the traffic situation, I observed from my position that traffic was now being officially diverted from our lane to the opposite lane. I decided to start my car and venture forward. When I crawled to the point of the accident, I discovered that true to my observations, we were now officially allowed to drive against traffic, as road safety officials directed us to use the opposite lanes.
After diverting to the opposite lane, my journalistic instincts could not allow me to continue, and so I decided to stop and make an observation of what was actually going on. I disembarked from my car. I observed the offending heavy-duty truck still lying on its side, with the two containers it was carrying also flat on the road. For all these hours, however, all the FRSC officials had succeeded in doing was to shift the vehicle from lying across the road to lying parallel with traffic. It became obvious that the Federal Road Safety Commission FRSC, with headquarters in Abuja, lacked the equipment, the trained personnel, and the technical know-how to pull the fallen truck off the road.
As I watched, the crane was then deployed to the other side of traffic, and from across the culvert between both sides of traffic, it would attempt to pull up the offending trailer and its luggage. The crank of the crane was finally secured around the neck of the truck, and the crane driver decided to pull with force. After a few attempts, the trailer was finally pulled upright with a snap, as the neck of the truck was severed from the trailer. It bounced several times before settling down. There was equally a loud bang as an oblong object akin to a fuel tank flew into the air and landed with a heavy thud a few meters from where I stood.
A VIO official standing nearby muttered that fire could break out on the scene, with the way things were being handled, and hurriedly moved away. I took that as my cue to exit the scene and be on my way. As I took my leave however, I noted that the two containers were still lying prostrate on the road, the truck was upright along with the trailer, unfortunately however, the truck had been severed from trailer. That was the situation I left, having spent about four hours on the road.
I jumped back into my vehicle, still on the wrong side of traffic, and headed towards the city. After about one kilometer, I ran into another heavy traffic. This time, I realized that the rightful vehicles coming from the city towards the airport and those of us coming from the airport axis towards the city were driving head-on towards each other, with neither side willing to give way. It was indeed chaotic. Up ahead, however, was a turning, at which other road traffic officials were rediverting those heading towards the city back to our rightful lane.
After long minutes, I finally made it to the turning and navigated my way back to the right side of traffic. I glanced at my dashboard clock, and it was a few minutes to midday. Meaning that I made the journey in approximately five hours. Meanwhile, some people were still in traffic. I do not know how long it took the officials to clear the truck, the trailer, and the containers from the road. It was at this point that the damage caused by institutional failures in our country struck me. I imagined the man hours lost due to the inefficiency of road safety management.
Prior to this incident, I watched the television show Ice Road Truckers, a reality show focused on heavy-duty trucks and how they navigate difficult terrains of snow, mountains, and mud to deliver goods.
The program had exposed me to how motorists used different gadgets to lift heavy-duty trucks and containers off the road with ease. These gadgets only need to be applied, and in seconds, a prostrate truck would be standing upright. How come the FRSC does not have such gadgets? Does it mean that in a real emergency, bordering on life and death, the commission would be handicapped? What happens to the average citizen in such a situation?
Since the creation of the FRSC by Decree number 45 of 1988 as amended by decree number 35 of 1992 with annual budgetary allocations, what has been the focus of the commission? Is it a revenue generating agency focused on the arrest and imposition of fines on motorists? Or is it focused on training its personnel and acquiring the latest equipment for proper service delivery?
As we focus on the failings of political leadership, it has become necessary for us to take a sideways look at the different agencies charged with delivering basic services to citizens, and demand to know why they constantly fail in their duties, despite annual budgetary allocations. The development of a country is measured by the ability of statutory agencies to deliver quality services to citizens. The failure of Nigeria, therefore, can be attributed to the failure of national institutions.
How come the police, the Armed Forces, Federal Ministries, Electricity Distribution Companies, the FRSC, the Fire Service, General Hospitals/Medical Centers, the Water Boards, and sundry other agencies always fail citizens? What is responsible for the inefficiency of the public service? Why do public servants shout ‘all correct, Sir!’ When nothing is correct? Shouting ‘Ranka ya dede, Sir!’ should no longer be enough for people to keep their jobs. Let us, as citizens, begin to challenge public agencies to deliver on their mandates.
