Death of 17 Kwara admission seekers painful, preventable ― AbdulRazaq

Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has lamented the death of 17 students in an auto crash on their way back to the state from Kano state, describing the incident as a painful one that could have been prevented.

It can be recalled that 17 persons were reportedly killed in an auto crash at Bacita junction along Jebba – Ilorin highway in Kwara state last Thursday.

The accident, which involved an 18-seater Toyota Hiace passenger bus and an articulated DAF container truck, also left two people injured.

It was gathered that the accident occurred as a result of over speeding and dangerous driving as the two vehicles had a head-on collision at a bend along the highway.

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In a statement by the governor’s chief press secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, on Sunday, Governor AbdulRazaq commiserated with the parents and families of the students and prayed to God to avert such calamity in the future.

“We, however, believe that we can avoid this calamity in the future. We reiterate our calls on the drivers to always check their speed, respect other road users, and put their vehicles in the best condition. Most accidents occur because our drivers often fail these three basic tests of safe driving.

“Besides, we call on our tertiary institutions which still require students to travel long distance for their post-UTME examination to please consider holding such test online to avert the necessity of travel. This will not only reduce travel and attendant risks but also encourage students to embrace and excel in computer literacy, a sine qua non for success in the 21st century,” the statement said.