I Nearly Died

I have just read in today's edition of the Punch Newspaper that sixteen precious Nigerians were killed in an accident somewhere in Kwara state. The particulars of the accident provoked deep empathy, and sympathy for them. I was involved in a similar accident in November last year.


I had just secured a lucrative business deal in Lokoja, and I had a small window to deliver. In the excitment,and exhiliration I decided to sleep in Akure, my objective was to be as close as possible to Lagos where I had to purchase the materials for the contract.

I left Lokoja at five pm that evening.I agree it was late. Akure was three hous away. A few kilometres after Owo before Ogbese in Ondo state, it happened. I was involved in a multiple accident.The cause was a trailer dodging a pothole and veering into our lane. The five vehicles in front of me just suddenly turned, as if intending to drive into the bush. My reaction was not quick enough. I rammed into the side of the altima that was before me.

Then I saw, and heard the trailer; the sound was like the special surround sound you only get in high-end cinemas, it was like sticking your head out of an airplane in flight. The trailer had jack-knifed and fallen on it's side, it was sliding across the full length of the road.It was sweeping every vehicle behind me; and it was laden with petrol.

All around me was confusion.My airbag had deployed, my windscreen was broken, my radiator punctured and headlamps and other parts were damaged. Eerily my car sterio continued playing. I came down, looked at the vehicle, and I was angry at the damage. I was angry because my wife would know I had broken my cardinal rule of not travelling at night. 

Then more confusion, people were screaming, there was a convoy of about six vehicles, half of them had been decimated by the trailer. I saw a man whose two legs were cut of in the accident, I did not try to count how many people had died, but the road safety official told me four had died; in all ,about ten vehicles were involved in the crash.

Who should we blame for the accident, the trailer driver? No, not him. The drivers in front of me? They were victims too! The culprit is the government. Nigeria has enough money to tar a six-lane highway around the coast of Africa. Instead we have been afflicted with Alibaba and the forty thieves, our commonwealth has become their private wealth.


A small pothole claimed the lives of innocent Nigerians. Because statisticss are never accurate in this country ,we will never know how how many people are killed by the negligence to fix pot holes.To the families of the Kwara sixteen, I extend my condolence.To the people in government who serve us on a platter for death to reap, I say "you judgement cometh,swiftly" GOD BLESS NIGERIA,MY NIGERIA, FOREVER!