LAGOS MARCH 7TH (URHOBOTODAY)-The Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists has called on the Federal Government to urgently dislodge tankers from the express road leading to seaports in Lagos.
The Acting Secretary of the Council, Alfred Odifa, who represented the Chairman of the Council, Deji Elumoye, made the call during a condolence visit to the family of late Segun Agbolade, popularly known as Effisy, a maritime journalist.
Agbolade, the pioneer Secretary of the Federated Maritime Media Chapel, was crushed to death by a tanker driver on February 28 at Trinity Bus Stop on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.
The NUJ secretary was accompanied on the condolence visit by the Chairman of the FMMC, George Umunnakwe, who led members of the executives and former presidents of the dissolved four Maritime Media Associations as well as the representative of the African Maritime Journalists Association.
Odifa said the tankers had made the port access roads impassable.
He said: “We are not talking of revenue loss which the tanker drivers are causing but the loss of lives daily on that road.
“Today, we come to condole with the family of late Agbolade who was crushed by a petroleum tanker driver on the port access road.”
Odifa pledged the support of the Lagos State Council of NUJ to the family of the deceased according to the union’s constitution.
According to him, as a mark of honour to the deceased journalist (Agbolade) and late Kayode Atofolaki, another Maritime journalist, who died on February 24 in his hometown in Kwara State, the Council will hold a candle light procession at the NUJ Secretariat in Ikeja, Alausa on March 10, 2017 by 4pm.
Odifa said: “We will support the George Umunnakwe-led FMMC Executives in pursuing the prosecution of the driver and his employer.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force had arrested the driver of the tanker and is investigating the circumstances that led to the death of Agbolade.
Umunnakwe described the pain, which the colleagues of the late journalists were going thorough, as “unbearable”.
The FMMC boss said that series of meetings and negotiations with the Police, family members, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Employers were ongoing.
Umunnakwe advised the family of Agbolade to tarry a little pending the outcome of the ongoing autopsy and investigation by the Police.
He said: “In fact, as I speak, the Commissioner of Police has called for the case file, as the Chairman of NUJ after a meeting put a call across to the CP.
“Therefore, I demand that the family exercise a little patience as the CP directed that the driver and the company be charged to court after investigation is concluded.”
Umunnakwe was optimistic that the NUJ would do everything possible to obtain the necessary compensation for the bereaved family.
In her response, Agbolade thanked members of the press for their visit, prayers, moral support.
She promised to abide by whatever advice was given by the NUJ through the FMMC.
Agbolade also promised to communicate the burial programmes to the Council as soon “as the family comes up with the programmes”.
On the delegation of the NUJ were Ovie Edomi, former President of League of Maritime Editors; Funso Olojo, former Vice President of Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria; and Ray Ugochukwu, former President, Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria.