Victims of trailer accident cry out for help, petition IGP

By Bashir Adefaka
Dangote Group of Companies is a business of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, GCON. As President of the consortium of manufacturing companies, Alhaji Dangote is known for contributing to human welfare and social development among Nigerians.

Renowned for being the richest African in business with largest company on the continent, Alhaji Dangote has affected many lives positively, which was attested to just on Monday, November 14, 2011 when he was conferred with the prestigious national award of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

However, there is public outcry against some elements in the transport department of his company whose attitude towards members of the public is tantamount to dragging the good name of the great business mogul in the mud. That is going by the cries of woe by victims of a trailer, owned by Dangote Group, which crashed into the premises of a two-storey building at 71, Western Avenue, now Funsho Williams Avenue, Surulere, Lagos killing people, injuring others, destroying the staircase of the building and damaging many operational/commercial buses own by companies on tenancy in the building.

VICTIM: One of the victims being rushed to the hospital

The trailer accident was said to have occurred in the night of June 3, 2011 but since then, efforts made by the victims to reach either the company’s President, Alhaji Aliko Dangote or anybody in the organization over the incident have proved abortive.

Victims, led by landlady of the two-storey building, Alhaja Ronke Soetan Adeagbo, told Vanguard that Dangote company was trying to dodge responsibility over the horrible development. They said their many attempts to reach the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote himself, since the Head of his Transport Department and Chief Security Officer had labored hard to play down the accident that had sent a lot of families and businesses into anguish and financial bankruptcy had led to nowhere.

In the petition addressed to Dangote Group through the company’s Head of Transport Department, which was received and signed for by one David of the Administrative Department, they stated that the Dangote trailer (Sinotruck), driven by Mr. Shuaib Umar, “was dangerously driven along Western Avenue Expressway, lost its track into service lane, before running into the premises of the adjacent building precisely 71, Western Avenue (Now Funsho Williams Avenue), Lagos,”

According to the letter, which was also copied to Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Member, House of Representatives, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila and Chairman of Surulere Local Government, the three-storey building in the premises was not only destroyed but a tenant in the building, a transport company with name Royal Transport Company, also had four of its operating vehicles damaged , some beyond repairs.

When the victims visited Vanguard office recently, they explained how the incident occurred.

“This accident which occurred on 3rd of June, 2011 at about 11.30pm in the night endangered the lives of the occupants of the building, destroyed barriers of the buildings, and damaged vehicles of Royal Transport Company, a tenant in the building. The driver disappeared before the arrival of sympathizers who came immediately to carry out rescue operation in an attempt to save the lives of the seriously injured casualties.”

It was gathered that the accident was so fatal that it attracted the attention of government agencies including the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS). The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and officers and men of the Nigeria Police from Area C Command, Ojuelegba, were also fully on ground. The landlady said the Nigeria Police “performed its statutory functions which,” she said led to the police detaining the vehicle. She said Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila of the Federal House of Representatives and Chairman, Surulere Local Government were among people that responded and “sympathized with the injured at such critical time but no representative from Dangote Group…responded to show concern for humanity.”

She said she had to take up the responsibility of clearing the rubles caused by the trailer’s destruction of the staircase of her building when she could no longer wait but that she notified the Divisional Police Officer in-charge of the case before clearing them and erection a temporary staircase.

On behalf of the transport company that also incured damages, the Manager, Mr. Peter Adonu, wrote a letter to Dangote Group’s (Head of Transport Department) dated 6th September 2011, stating that, “Although, Nigeria Police Force performed its statutory functions on the accident, it is sad to inform your department of obvious unfavorable disposition towards the plight of fellow Nigerians at such a crucial period. I believe, it is totally contrary to the goodwill of the founder of your group of companies towards his country men.”

Our losses

The transport company manager further said, “The damaged vehicles cannot ply its eastern route in the past three months which is an enormous loss of revenue to the business. Also, huge investment on the purchase of these vehicles for our business cannot be recovered due to your unfavorable disposition to our plight,” he pointed out.

Earlier, in a separate letter dated 18th August, 2011 addressed to the Group and copied to the Corporate Affairs manager, another victim, a vulcanizer operating in the premises, who said his equipment and tools were also destroyed by the trailer, made a pathetic revelation as stated in his letter that, “Since the incident happened, I have been jobless and I am using this medium to appeal to your reputable organization to please come to my aid,” he wrote.

The Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria, Ojuelegbe Branch, which was another affected body in the accident, also made its formal presentation to the Group through the Head of Transport Department. In the association’s letter dated 22nd August, 2011 and signed by its Secretary, Mr. Olakunle Fadi, it was stated that it lost its container office, a yet-to-be specified amount of money and a hummer bus to the accident.

What victims want

Four months after letters have been written to Alhaji Aliko Dangote through his company’s transport department, which the victims expected to be the right channel to pass them through, and nothing had come out of them, they made a last protest letter dated October 26, 2011 and quickly followed it up with a coordinated “Statement of Claims” put together by Alhaja Ronke Soetan Adeagbo on behalf of herself and other victims to the company in a letter dated October 31, 2011.

In the letter, the landlady detailed the victims in order of which they want to be settled and they include, Royal Transport Ltd, Francis Uzor Transport Ltd, Mr. Jimoh Sharafa, the vulcanizer and the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria.

A detailed text message was sent to the Group’s Public Relations Manager, Mr. Essan, when he didn’t pick calls, but he was yet to respond to message as at the time of going to press. Not even phone calls made shortly after yielded positive results as he was not picking his phone calls.

The matter has since been handled by the Area C Command of the Nigeria Police at Ojuelegba while he victims are also crying to the Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Ringim to help them reach out to Alhaji Aliko Dangote since his people are denying them access to him.