President of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIoTA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has joined the families of those who lost their lives when a container fell off a truck, landing on a commercial vehicle and killing its occupants – including two employees of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) – on Tuesday, insisting that the nation’s roads can be safer if everyone takes adequate precaution.
Jamoh, who is also the Director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) had, in a separate conversation with the parents of the deceased, conveyed the institute’s condolences and promised that the association would intensify its advisory role on transportation matters to rid the sector of unsafe practices and ensure smooth and safe movement.
“I spoke with both parents (Mrs. Ajoku and Mr. Nnaekpe) of the two youthful FAAN employees whose lives were sadly terminated by the fallen container while in a bus on their way from work. As your president, I extended our collective heartfelt sympathies to them in separate phone conversations.
“While comforting them, I also assured them that CIoTA will not only be lending a voice to this matter but will play its full leadership role of advocating for transportation safety on our roads.”
He disclosed that CIoTA had started engaging stakeholders in the industry in a bid to find a lasting solution to the issue of safety, particularly with regard to proper latching of containers onto articulated vehicles, a major challenge that has faced transportation within the port environment in recent times.
“We have reached out to key state actors with a view to getting their commitments as we strive to work towards a broad-based programme that will involve critical stakeholders on the importance of safely and properly latching containers and cargo to trucks before they leave the marine and other import-export environments for our general road networks; while also addressing the important issue of the competence and mental status of the drivers.”
He charged stakeholders to be supportive of CIoTA’s drive, saying the issue of safety in the sector “can no longer take the back seat”.
