Why 5 NANS Officials On Trouble-Shooting Lost Their Lives

They had no premonition of death when they set out on a trouble-shooting mission to the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, on Thursday, June 13, 2013.  Few days before the fatal trip, the university had been shut down following violent students' protest over the introduction of N2000 GST fees as well as increase of inter-campus transport fares from N50 to N200.   The students were also rankled over inadequate water supply on campus, inexplicable power outage, as well as the squalid environment they were meant to live on and study.

As the protest turned violent, policemen were drafted to the university to contain the riot.  But instead of making peace, they allegedly shot dead three students of the university and in the process, worsened the already bad situation.   The university was subsequently closed down to avoid further deaths as well as damage to the institution's property.

But as a responsible organization, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), felt it had a duty to resolve the dispute between the students and authorities of the University of Uyo.

It was against this backdrop that  a delegation  of NANS officials led by its Senate President, Donald Onukaogu, left Owerri, the Imo state capital, on June 13, for  the University of Uyo on a trouble-shooting mission.

But the trip turned out to be an unimaginable tragedy. LEADERSHIP gathered that on getting to Ndiorie junction in Ndioro, Ikwuano local government area of Abia state, a MAN-Diesel 40-foot trailer rammed into the unmarked 19-seater bus conveying the students to Uyo, and instantly killed Onukaogu, a student of the Federal University of Technology (FUTO), who incidentally was driving the ill-fated bus at the time of the accident.

The road mishap claimed the lives of four other students.  Their names were given as Assah Ejeita of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Duru Jacob, assistant secretary general NANS, Zone B, one Japhet and another student whose name could not be determined on the spot.

Four other members of the delegation who sustained serious injuries, were later rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, the Abia state capital, where doctors battled for several hours to save their lives.

It was an avoidable motor accident.  Perhaps, to put the tragic incident in perspective, the accident happened in the first place because of the deplorable state of the federal government-owned Umuahia-Ikot-Ekpene road.  Indeed, most of the federal government-owned roads in the South-east state are currently yawning for meaningful rehabilitation.

The accident happened at one of the awful spots along the Umuahia - Ikot Ekpene road. Mr. Philip Nwagwu whose residence is a shouting distance to the scene of the accident, lamented that the accident spot had become Nigeria's version of the dreaded Bermuda Triangle.  "This spot has claimed several lives over the years, and it seems as if any driver that plies the Umuahia-Ikot-Ekpene road is on a suicide mission", said Nwagwu.

An eyewitness said that on getting to the notorious Ndiorie junction, the  driver of the trailer who was coming from Ikot-Ekpene,  swerved to  the right to  avoid falling into a large ditch on the road, and in the process, rammed into the students' bus coming from the Umuahia end of the road; killing five and wounding four others.  One student sustained minor injuries, while the other student reportedly escaped unhurt.

According to Nwagwu, the road had been neglected since the end of the Nigeria/Biafra war, 43 years ago.

"What we see is 'patch patch work' on the road either carried out by the Abia state government or the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, (FERMA), he said further.  He said the Akwa Ibom state government has also done some repair work on the road, just to make it motorable.

He called on the federal government to urgently embark on the dualization of the Umuahia/Ikot-Ekpene road to bring to an end the incessant carnage on the road.

When  LEADERSHIP   visited the emergency ward of the FMC,  Umuahia,  it was gathered that one member of the ill-fated  delegation who had a minor injury had been treated and discharged, while  the other student who escaped unhurt, had left for FUTO.

Abia state Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission, (FRSC), Mr.  John Meheux, advised drivers plying the road to exercise a high degree of cautiousness given the poor state of the road.

Abia state Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, dashed to FMC when he got the news of the ugly incident,  to comfort several grieving members of NANS, who besieged the hospital after the news of the ghastly motor accident filtered into town. The governor also condoled with the families of both the bereaved and injured students and paid the medical bills of the accident victims.

Earlier, while conducting the governor round the  casualty ward, the medical doctor on duty who gave his name as Dr Kalu, said  the four surviving accident victims   were in stable condition.

NANS coordinator, zone B, Comrade Chinonso Obasi, thanked the governor for sympathizing with the student's body, and pledged that members of the association would be good ambassadors of the country.

President Goodluck Jonathan did not feel less concerned as he dispatched his Senior Special Assistant on Youth, and Students' Matters, Comrade Jude G.  Imagwe, to Umuahia, to assess the situation on ground, as well as condole NANS and families of the victims over the tragic road accident that claimed the lives of five NANS officials, leaving four others seriously wounded.

The president said he was terribly grieved over the death of the NANS officials, given the fact that they died few days after he granted them audience at ASO Rock Villa, Abuja. They were reportedly at the Villa to secure an appointment with the President and NANS leadership.

He commended Governor Orji for showing a fatherly disposition over the tragedy that befell the students by his prompt visit and financial assistance, adding that  it  was the first time a sitting governor had shown such an interest and concern in the affairs of students that were not from his state.

The president also commended the management of the FMC for taking adequate care of the injured students, disclosing that one of the recuperating students has testified to the fact that they could not have received better treatment anywhere.

Apparently referring to the crises at the University of Uyo, where the student union leaders were heading to for mediation, he urged students to explore dialogue, instead of embarking on protests during stressful periods.

 The Coordinator of NANS, Zone B, Comrade Chinonso Obasi, commended the president for sending his special assistant to commiserate with the students' body as well as see the injured students.

Some sympathizers at the scene of the accident hope the federal government would be compelled by the death of the students, largely described as 'future leaders', to award contract for the reconstruction of all the failed roads in the South-East, particularly the dilapidated Umuahia- Ikot-Ekpene road.

"The  road accident that claimed the lives of the innocent students is a sad reminder of the poor state of our roads, and the veritable way to immortalize the dead students is to repair all the failed roads in the country", said a resident of Ndioro who spoke on condition of anonymity.