Hundreds of members of the Kwara State chapter of the Road Transport Workers Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) have staged a protest, demanding the immediate restoration of speed breakers on the Oko-Olowo Express road in Ilorin the Kwara State capital.
Leading the protest which crippled movement of heavy duty trucks from the northern parts of Nigeria to the southern parts of the country for a while, the Chairmen of the two Unions, Abdulrahman Onikijipa, and Abdulrazaq Ariwoola as well as other concerned stakeholders noted that lives are being lost on daily basis in the community as a result of the removal of speed breakers from the road.
They accused a contractor handling the reconstruction of the road for the removal of the speed breakers, insisting that his action constitutes a safety risk to residents and road users.
The federal expressway which serves as a gateway for travelers coming from the northern part of the country to the south passes through has witnessed many fatal auto crashes that have resulted to several deaths, according to residents and transporters, that triggered this heavy protest to demand an immediate restoration of the speed breakers and proper safety features to halt the menace.
The protesters who suggested an overhead and pedestrian bridge in the community also want the federal government to hold those who authorized the removal of speed breakers without public consultations responsible for the countless lives lost.
Our Correspondent in Ilorin reports that several families have lost their loved ones to avoidable auto-crashes in Oko-Olowo while attempting to cross the scary road or during normal economic activities.
Editor: Ken Eseni
