From Omale Adama, Lokoja
Kogi state House of Assembly, at Tuesday’s plenary has called on the management of Dangote Cement, Obajana, to adequately compensate victims of road accidents allegedly caused by its trucks on the highways.
The call followed the adoption of a motion on a ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’, moved by the Chief Whip of the house, Alhaji Suleiman Babadoko (PDP-Lokoja 1) on the floor of the House.
Alhaji Babadoko said that fatal auto crashes involving Dangote Cement trucks on highways in and around Lokoja killing and maiming passengers as well as innocent pedestrians were no longer news.
“And each time the nasty incident happens, it leaves families and property owners in a state of despondency and anguish”, he said, adding that the recent crash at a military check point at Otokiti area of Lokoja was one out of many.
He said, “According to an eye witness, the trailer belonging to Dangote lost control and veered off its lane and rammed into the vehicles carrying passengers at the Military check point in Otokiti.”
The Chief Whip said that five commercial vehicles were damaged beyond repair and condemned while a woman passenger lost her life with several others injured.
Babadoko, therefore, prayed the House to pass a resolution mandating Dangote Cement to “adequately compensate” those whose vehicles were damaged beyond repair, the injured passengers and the family of the deceased woman.
Speaker of the House, Alhaji Momoh-Jimoh Lawal, in his ruling, committed the motion to the House Committee on Public Petitions, to summon the management of the company and thrash out the issue of compensation as well as recklessness of the truck drivers.
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