18 school children miraculously escaped death on Tuesday, June 30, 2015 as a truck plying the pothole-riddled Ago Palace Way, Okota, lost control and hit the school bus conveying pupils to school.
A reliable source told Daily Sun that the truck had been lying to avoid some other tankers that were parked along the road, thereby narrowing it to a single lane.
By merely doing so, the truck hit the school bus that was heavy laden with 18 children on their way to school.
It was gathered from the source, that as a result of the accident, all the doors of the bus locked forcefully, leaving the terrified children screaming and crying at random.
They were finally rescued through the window.
Chairman of Ago Phase Two United Forum, Prince Nixon Okwara, as he was speaking with Daily Sun, stated that such occurrence was not the first of its kind happening on the road.
Okwara being also the chairman, Green Field Estate Community Development Association, reiterated that sometime back, a container fell on the car of a young couple journeying on the road and crushed the duo to pieces while they were going to church, attending a wedding ceremony.
He stated that the situation became worse within late hours when trucks and tankers were usually parked on both sides of the road.
This reduced the road to one lane and in turn caused accidents and serious traffic problems.
Also, residents in the area had on several occasions, complained in writing to the immediate past governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), to help them stop trucks from parking on the Ago Palace Way.
Mr. Okwara went further to disclose that a save-oursoul message was sent to the new governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode to come to their aid.
“We want to thank God that the 18 nursery and primary school pupils escaped unhurt.
“Just imagine what would have happened if 10, had died.
“We have written several letters to the government of Lagos State to notify them about the dangers the trucks that are parking on this road are causing.
“We have also made a lot of peaceful protests to draw the attention of government to the plight of the people living in this area, all to no avail.
“It seems government is waiting for something like this to happen before they can swing into action.
“I want to once again use this opportunity to draw their attention so that they will come to assist in clearing this road. of the menace of articulated vehicles.
“The recklessness and manner of these trucks and trailers are causing untold hardship to the other users of the road.
Another resident in the neighbourhood, Moses Onwughalu, mentioned that since the end of the tenure of former Governor Babatunde Fashola, the contractors handling the Ago Palace Way have withdrawn their services probably because they were not sure if the incumbent would want to continue with the raod project.
This, according to him, has worsened the situation of the road as the graded parts had turned into craters.
He urged Governor Ambode of Lagos state to call back the contractors, adding that the road was very important to residents of the area and the state in general.
“We have been on this matter for more than eight years.
“There is nothing under the law that we have not done to draw the attention of government to the menace of these truck drivers.
“The worst of all is that they used to tell us to our faces that there is nothing we can do, that their owners are highly connected in Abuja and other places.
“So, we are appealing to Governor Ambode to try and save us from the dangers on this road.
“The innocent school children were lucky to have escaped.
“But last year, a couple going to church for a wedding ceremony was crushed to death when a container fell on their car at AP Bus Stop.
“The story on this road has been that of horror.
“Even hoodlums hide in some of these trucks at night to rob helpless citizens who are going home after a hard day’s toil,” Onwughalu said.
