OYRTMA REACTION TO ONLINE POST BY PASTOR KOREDE OF CHRIST LIBERTY WORLD EVANGELICAL MINISTRY ON ROAD CRASH INCIDENT OF 16TH MAY 2020 IN IBADAN
Our attention has been drawn to an online press statement credited to one Pastor Korede of ‘Christ Liberty World Evangelical Ministry’ titled “Why Governors Seyi Makinde??” premised on a road crash incident that occurred on 16th May, 2020 at Ajorosun, Total garden, Ibadan.
The piece would not have deserved this rejoinder but for the very sensitive nature of the issue at stake, which if not sensibly treated and promptly corrected would likely mislead unsuspecting members of the public who may not be aware of the timely intervention of the Executive Chairman, Mogaji (Dr.) Akin Fagbemi in rescuing the lives of all victims involved in the road crash which occurred at about 1200hours of 16th May, 2020 in which one of our Senior Officers was critically injured alongside a woman identified simply as Mrs. Taiwo and other victims.
A preliminary investigation carried out on the unfortunate accident with the aid of our ‘Post-crash Incident Report’ of May 16th 2020 revealed that the accident was caused by a ‘Learner-driver’ under the tutelage of a Driving Institute (name withheld) who accidentally hit an overloaded tricycle conveying Mrs. Taiwo and others. The impact of the Learner’s vehicle on the tricycle was so intense that both vehicles skidded off so rapidly to hit one of our Operational towing truck which was on an emergency rescue operation in company of our Ambulance. In the process, one of our officers was critically wounded and others sustained various degrees of injury including Mrs. Taiwo, hence, making OYRTMA a victim in the unfortunate incident.
However, the severity of Mrs. Taiwo’s sustained injury made other OYRTMA officers involved to abolish the initial rescue mission and with immediate effect moved all victims (including the injured officer) to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan at about 1225hours of the same day. This was done with the assistance of men of the Nigerian Police force, Yemetu Division who helped to return normalcy to the area and had subsequently being handling the case.
It was shortly after this that the Authority’s Headquarters was informed of the incident and the Executive Chairman promptly intervened first on a personal stance by reaching out to the family of Mrs. Taiwo assuring that he would assist in footing the hospital bills of all the crash victims.
To this end, the Executive Chairman, on a personal, humanitarian ground dedicated his official salary for the month of May 2020 and paid in cash, the sum of Two-Hundred Thousand Naira only (#200,000) through the family and the Pastor who had come to seek for the Executive Chairman’s personal assistance specifically for Mrs Taiwo who was mostly affected by the accident to serve as an immediate intervention aimed at saving her precious life and also footed in a separate arrangement, the bills of the OYRTMA officer severely wounded in the crash. The said Pastor revealed that he was in the know of the tremendous works and assistance executed by the Agency and The Executive Chairman and thus offered fervent prayers for God’s continuous guardian and direction for the success of the Governor Makinde’s administration.
It is however surprising that the writer of the publication, Pastor Kayode of ‘Christ Liberty World Evangelical Ministry’, who had days after the incident led the family of Mrs. Taiwo to appreciate the quick and timely intervention of The Oyo State Government through OYRTMA Executive Chairman, Mogaji (Dr.) Akin Fagbemi, would only after three months the incident occurred and had been handled by the Police be misleading the public through the said half-baked publication purportedly aimed only at gaining cheap popularity at the detriment of the case’s sensitivity involving the precious live of Mrs Taiwo and her means of livelihood without recourse to the fare of God that he so preaches.
Meanwhile the Authority regrets the unfortunate incidence and heartily empathize with the families of those involved particularly Mrs. Taiwo’s whose family has explained that the online publication was originally aimed at seeking further governmental assistance knowing fully well of the magnanimity and generosity of the Governor Makinde led administration and to reach out to other well-meaning members of the public, NGOs and blessed individuals to assist in the continuous healing process of their beloved sister.
As a responsible and highly responsive agency of government that has rescued over one hundred and thirty accident victims in over forty-three (43) different road crashes across the State in year 2020 alone and in-line with our statutory mandate, we shall continue to take steps to prevent accidents and also support accident victims through our timely rescue operations and giving urgent financial assistance to critical victims since the major cardinal agenda of the Governor Makinde’s administration is the assurance of a good quality live for the people of Oyo State through adequate protection of their lives and properties.
We therefore assure the good people of the State that we would not be deterred in executing our humanitarian roles of saving lives through effective road traffic management, enforcement of relevant traffic rules and regulations and timely intervention in road crash incidents.
