By Lukman Olabiyi
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has expressed deep sorrow over the death of the students of Ojodu Grammar school, who were crushed to death by a truck driver on Tuesday.
In a condolence message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile on Wednesday, Sanwo-Olu described the demise of the students as sad, unfortunate and avoidable.
The governor sympathised with families of the bereaved students, their relatives, friends, management and staff of Ojodu Grammar school.
He said: “I commiserate with the parents, management, staff and students of Ojodu Grammar school over this unfortunate death of our students, whose lives were cut short by a truck driver yesterday.
“The sad incident has left me devastated since yesterday because it is terrible to hear about the death of innocent children, especially in a clearly avoidable circumstance like what happened yesterday.
“As a parent, words cannot express how shattered I was when I learnt about the incident. No one’s life, including those vibrant students, who were returning from where they had gone to learn for a better future, deserved to be ended in that manner.
“My deepest sympathies go out to their parents. I pray that God will grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
“Our prayers are also with the survivors, who are receiving treatment at the hospitals.
“Meanwhile, we have immediately ordered that the affected schools be shut down till January, while investigations are ongoing. The erring driver has also been arrested.”
Meanwhile, the General Manager of Lagos State Traffic Management Authourity (LASTMA), Bolaji Oreagba has categorically disowned the unsubstantiated allegation that officials of the agency were involved in the unfortunate truck accident that crushed some students on their way home from school on Tuesday, 7 December, 2021.
Oreagba averred that” from the reports we received on the incidence, the driver is believed to have lost control of the vehicle, probably because of mechanical reasons. The police are investigating the matter; the public should await their report.
“LASTMA does not has a traffic management duty post around the accident scene. Noting that and all patrol personnel had reported back to base for daily parade as at the time the accident occurred leaving only those at their traffic management posts”, Oreagba noted.
The General Manager further said that in the various unconfirmed reports in some media, not only LASTMA as an agency was fingered but some other government traffic control agencies and wondered how all these agencies would be in pursuit of one truck, a truck that could be apprehended at a later date, that is, if it had committed any traffic infraction.
He advised that the media should refrain from rushing to the press with unsubstantiated reports, all in a bid to be the first to break the news. A news that could engender public distrust before the revelation of the facts.
Oreagba commiserated with the families of the students that lost their lives and pray for the quick recovery for the injured. He also said that we all have the responsibility of making our roads safe for everyone, by strictly adhering to all motoring and traffic rules and regulations that have been put in place.