Gov. Ademola Adeleke has directed the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to rehabilitate and widen the Ibodi-Ilesa road in Ilesa area of the state to forestall incessant accidents that have claimed lives in recent times.
A statement by his Spokesman, Malam Olawale Rasheed, on Friday in Osogbo, said the governor gave the approval, while receiving report of a committee he set up after the unfortunate accident that claimed the life of a female staff of the University of Ilesa.
The governor directed the Commissioner for Transportation to consider the creation of a trailer park in the area to stop multiple parking of trailers in the area.
While condoling with the family of the university staff that lost her life in the accident, the governor endorsed the compensation package already agreed between the owner of the truck and family of the deceased.
He, however, said that no amount of monetary compensation could replace the loss of a “precious life”.
Adeleke, who also approved the
creation of regulations to govern trucking activities along the said road,warned companies operating in the state to be mindful of the question of safety and security of their host communities.
“We are putting stiff regulations in place to prevent recurrence of such sad incidents in the future.
“The Ministry of Works will work on expanding the road and the Ministry of Transportation will develop a trailer park.
“Parking of trailers on that narrow road is hereby prohibited. Speed limit should also be enforced with immediate effect,” he said.
The Chairman of the committee, Mr Sesan Oyedele, said members of the committee visited families of the deceased, the affected company and management of the University of Ilesa.
“ We commiserated with the family and negotiated with the grieving family.
“We concluded a settlement under very difficult conditions.
” We conveyed Your Excellency’s heartfelt sympathy to the affected family,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that a female staff member of the University of Ilesa on April 3, died when a container filled with cashew nuts being conveyed by a truck fell on her car.
The accident, which happened on the Ilesa/Ibodi expressway, a few meters away from the university’s gate, caused panic, as people made efforts to rescue the victim whose car was trapped under the container.