Overspeeding caused Ekiti doctors’ death, says FRSC

• Afe Babalola, Fayemi, CMA, pharmacists condole with NMA
• CMD warns against politicisation of medical personnel’s demise
• Laboratory scientists raise concern about Nigerian roads

The Kaduna State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) yesterday attributed the accident that claimed the lives of six Ekiti State medical doctors to over-speeding.

The Sector Head of Operations, Deputy Corps Commander Salisu Galadunci, who disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna, said: “Twelve medical doctors and a driver were in an 18-seater bus travelling to Sokoto for Nigeria Medical Association’s (NMA) yearly conference and had a tyre burst due to over-speeding.

“The vehicle overturned with the occupants and six of the doctors died along with the driver while six others survived with various degrees of injuries.”

One of the survivors, the Ekiti State NMA’s Branch Chairman, John Akinbote, has blamed the death of the doctors on lack of immediate medical attention.

Another survivor, Stephen Ayosanmi, said the driver had slammed the brakes when the tyre blew out causing the bus to somersault.

But concerned about the death of the doctors, the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) yesterday asked the Federal Government to give an urgent attention to the nation’s roads and save the country from avoidable deaths.

In a statement to mourn the death of the medical doctors, the National President, Alhaji Toyosi Raheem, said the Association received news of the death of the NMA members with “rude shock”, describing the development as devastating.

Meanwhile, pharmacists under the aegis of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and Commonwealth doctors under the umbrella of the Commonwealth Medical Association (CMA) have condoled with the NMA on the death of six of its members from Ekiti State and their driver in an accident.

The PSN, in a condolence letter addressed to the President of the NMA, and signed by the Society’s President, Ahmed I. Yakasai, noted: “On behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Council of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, I write to convey our heartfelt condolences to the President and entire members of the NMA on the demise of their colleagues who all died in a fatal motor accident.

“It is our prayer that God will give you, their families and colleagues the fortitude to bear this huge loss. Once again, please accept our sympathies.”

CMA in its own condolence letter signed by its Vice President, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, read in part: “It was with deep pain and great shock that the West African region of the Commonwealth Medical Association received the sad news of the unfortunate loss of lives of seven distinguished Nigerians (six medical doctors and a driver) who were part of the Ekiti State NMA delegation to attend the 56th yearly general conference/yearly delegates’ meeting of the NMA in Sokoto State.”

In another development, Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti (FETHI), Dr. Lawrence Ayodele, has warned against politicisation of the death of the six medical doctors.

He also condemned the violent protest by some health workers of the hospital over the tragic incident and dismissed as “barbaric” insinuations that the fatal accident was spiritual and man-made, urging members of staff of the hospital to resist being used by some elements for political gains.

Also, an elder statesman and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), has commiserated with the Ekiti State Government, management of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) and that of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti on the sudden death of the doctors and a driver last Sunday.

Besides, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has mourned the death of the doctors and their driver, describing the development as devastating and deeply saddening.