Felele Road Is Not Cursed But Jinxed With Application Of The Right Actions... EFTAI,

In an exclusive but revealing interview with Homesandkids, the Convener of Enough of Felele Trucks' Accidents Initiative (EFTAI), Comrade Onibiyo Dayo, pointed some vital issues regarding the road, concluding that, Felele road is not cursed but jinxed with application of the right actions, which he concludes needs to be now...

H&K: 

Why EFTAI?

EFTAI: 

Someone needs to rise to sustain the momentum of the occasion, so it doesn't die again, it doesn't have to go the way the other accidents before it went, at a time, no forum to talk about it, at another time, comes the forums to, but when it is fresh and hot gradually it fades off, the microphone is switched off, until re-awakened by another horrible mishap, oh! A new page of Lamentations, no, no, and no, that is what we say in EFTAI, that we all can't go to sleep pretending all is well. It has to continue until a time when the needful is done by the appropriate authorities and you and me.

                      Governor Ododo

H&K: 

How did you come about the name?

EFTAI: 

I crafted it from the need to stop the ugly blood sucking incident (enough), the place, center or theater of the heart wrecking disasters (Felele), the cause (Trucks/ Trailers), the event name itself (Accidents) and the medium to use (Initiative) to stop it, very simple- EFTAI

H&K: 

Is this a vision or dream?

EFTAI: 

None, it's rather a mission or better still movement, in reality response to poor reoccurring developments, with the mindset that it is time to stop it.

H&K: 

That's a vision!

EFTAI: 

In one sense, yes, in another no, no one saw the vision that accidents will be occurring in road A or B or that, or announced the vision when he or she saw it, if any,  even when the design also points to  the fact that it can happen, and even when people begging to go and build houses, raise structure to meet the road there, as the traffic increases, so to outrightly call it a vision NO, but some how futuristically speaking YES, because it's to STOP it from occurring anymore.

H&K: 

Who are those behind this

EFTAI: 

The people, am just fortunate to be leading it and it's going to be a temporary thing, for once the needed actions laid down are executed the group stops and government and stakeholders group are.left to sustain it.

                  Comrade Onibiyo Dayo

                              convener

H&K: 

You mean no accident will occur on that road again?

EFTAI: 

Surely not, because a bike hitting a motionless car will be called accident or crash, as the newly adopted name for accident  by international organizations by a "lay man calls accident", but the world will never again record any ghastly accident on Felele roads involving trucks/ trailers.

H&K: 

Why the emphasis on trucks/ trailers?

 EFTAI: 

98% if not 100% of crashes there are involving trucks/ trailers that crushes people to death and destroys properties and maim many. Even destroys the road on which it drives.

H&K: 

...but other accidents occur?

 EFTAI: 

Yes! But in choosing a fight, you must be focused and select your battle.

H&K: 

Are you from Kogi State?

 EFTAI: 

Yes, I am, precisely from Yagba East LGA, am Onibiyo Dayo

H&K: 

More about you

EFTAI: 

If you insist, a Computer Scientist with bias for Programming, Public Management and Media Consultant, Image Maker, Plan and Anchor Events, Publicist, Arts' Director and a movie builder, I also play politics.

H&K: 

How do you draw membership?

EFTAI: 

From making public posts on social media platforms and sharing links with which people can join, but you have got to answer a few questions along the line, once we are sure you are real, not a hacker, you are admitted, we are dead strict about this.

H&K: 

Qualifications for membership?

EFTAI: 

None other than, you are human and concerned that no life should be lost again, on that road

H&K: 

No restrictions

EFTAI: 

None, not even people residing outside Lokoja are stopped, we have members in far and near, like some in Kano, etc

H&K: 

The mission of EFTAI?

EFTAI: 

Two, one is the main THRUST- To get the Governor of the state- His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo to implement the technical drawing offered by EFTAI at no charge/ cost, as solution donated to the gradient and vehicle defects road. Two, to mobilize the people to be dynamic good ambassadors in stopping the accidents by joining to enlightenment and sustain strict adherence by of all road users, be it passenger, pedestrians, riders, drivers, authorities on road management and so on to  the day-to-day guides we have drawn from real time experience on using that road, 15 of them.

H&K: 

Why the Governor?

EFTAI: 

Because he is the chief executive officer of the state, the man with authority and funds, so he must take the lead, others will them follow, including private investors and so on. As a matter of fact he is the Grand Patron of EFTAI in waiting.

H&K: 

Let us agree on three things here, first is the drawings, second, the guides as consumable materials and thirdly, the people?

EFTAI: 

Correct!

H&K: 

Where do we start?

EFTAI: 

The people first, because they own the road and must own it in practice as users and must agree that it is stoppable, this is the international best practice for this, let the people own the project meant for them, that is the first spirit and should please join this struggle, it's for all, unfortunately, accidents don't  know political parties, religion, tribes, position, and what have you, or does the road knows the permanent Secretary or She?

H&K: 

Definitely not, not even those of us who can write to malign it...

EFTAI:

llol, please don't go there

H&K: 

So the people first

EFTAI: 

Yes, we need you as a journalist to know that it is stoppable, we need the pedestrians to see it as stoppable, we need the students to see it as doable, and that if we don't do anything about it, it could happen to anyone, it could be anybody, the Governor, Chairmen of LG and anyone using the road, once we all agree we need to face it, then, we have won the foundation of the fight, we must all own the responsibility to fix the road by action of act and construction. No one should say aloof, and say, it can't affect me, good to have positive thinking but wrong to do nothing, for you can just be the next victim! God forbades.

H&K: 

So they... (Cut)

EFTAI: 

Join us, we are all involved, those who died their last didn't know they were going to die, most of them were not on that road for the first time even the travelers amongst, may be a few.

H&K: 

Aside joining, what will you have them do?

EFTAI: 

Share these guides which are in public domain already for 22 days now, in seven languages of Okun, Ebira, Igala, Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa, they should keep talking about it to enlighten others, do the needful by obeying the guides too, use their funds when we start physically going round to educate people, join the road shows and of course even add new ideas.

H&K: 

The Governor?

EFTAI: 

Many areas from basically approving and funding of the proposed design part of the road, the Park, because that road has a sharp gradient (slope) from around crusher but getting more STEEPY from NNPC and with thrusting weight till you get to around the Motor Park and on to Kogi Poly, this needs to be trapped and that is where the Park Stop Check & Fix point comes in. Sadly, it suddenly drops into the thick population on that road as it ends the long slope.

H&K: 

Gradient?

EFTAI: 

Yes, gradient, meaning slope, the road descends towards Kogi poly gate/ nataco junction and it increases in the speed of dropping depending on the weight of the vehicle+goods it's conveying! Usually, in Nigeria, have you really seen trucks or trailers carrying the approved tonnage? The answer is NO, check it out, so that must be checked, when they travel for a while the wheels get hot, and the friction drops or how do you put it, make the brakes less effective, the brakes themselves  are not good initially and everything like Fela says "confusion brakes bone ooo, yepa" even the traffic at the centre can't stop it. 

H&K: 

Technically?

EFTAI: 

Most of these trucks are defective seriously, get makes good money only to come and crush people to death, even when accident happens the first thing you see them trying to do is to salvage the good it's conveying that is if it's not engulfed by fire, Government should tax these trucks heavily to be fit, they are for business purposes not charity services and should not be moving on our roads if not fit.

H&K: 

So the free fall, can't be stop by the trucks?

EFTAI: 

...but the crushes, agony, pains, noise and blood flowing freely like river, may God help us.

H&K: 

Still on this design, why not the Police, FRSC?

EFTAI: 

Let us be honest, even soldiers, how many times have they been able to stop this trucks/ trailers, very very rear, and that will never happen at slopes, they chose their battles, they know where to mouth road blocks, they are not like Police that mouth road blocks at hill or bends, so they have to be stopped using flagging, speed bumps and strong structures and then diverted into the park, which will have amenities like toilets/ bath where they can refresh, ease themselves, eat, relax and even sleep if they chose while their trucks and trailers are tested and being fixed. Now when cleared, the truck or trailer is just taking off afresh and as such, no heat generated yet, that is one, two, would not have such gradient gaining heavy free fall before exiting the Felele road, that is the secrete, Meanwhile...

H&K: 

So how does the state make money from all these?

EFTAI: 

The test points, the fixing point, the parking space, the people who come there to do business, the clearance and so on. Won't like to expose that aspect beyond this because that is not the original reason for it. The original reason is stop the accidents, end deaths on that road.

H&K: 

hmmmmm

EFTAI: 

More is really embedded, we can't just wait to have the Governor give the go ahead

H&K: 

Go ahead how?

EFTAI: 

Call us for a meeting, approve the proposed stakeholders session for workshop, to harvest more views, approve funds for the printing of the road guides materials, provide fund for the roadshows and enlightenment sessions, the funds for the jingles and promos and of course the deployment of road authorities to work with us and the commencement of the approval for the implementation of the road redesign / park point.

H&K: 

Does it mean you can't do something without the government?

EFTAI: 

Already you are conducting this interview, we are doing something, some people and organizations are reading, they will act, we have told you a few of what we have done within our limited resources as volunteers and we are going ahead to do more, even now we are calling on people who can directly talk to the Governor, who have unfettered access to him, we are seeking the help and supports of the likes of our father and respected elderstatesman, retired but not tired General Jonathan Tunde Ogbeha, a distinguish Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, one or two time state Administrator, a man of credibility, young but dynamically progressive Prince Olusoji of PROOF, Chief Femi Asaju, a oil magnate, Chief Femi Akande a business tycoon, the host LGA Chairman, Honourable Abdulahi Adamu, Elder Hon. Leke Abejide and Hon. Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Development Mukadam Asiwaju Asiru Idris, a diplomat and financial guru and others as Patrons, Advisers and etc, and we are sure we will get result, that is a way to keep something running before the Governor steps in, we are merely holding forth for our dynamic, listening and passionate Governor, who so far has shown his resolve to humanity for good.

H&K: 

Any other message?

EFTAI: 

It's our task, all of us, everyone that uses that road or have someone using that road.