By Chimezie Godfrey
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over the death of 19 passengers who met their tragic fate on Thursday in a road accident that occurred on the Kano/Zaria Road.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, which was made available to Newsdiaryonline.
Reacting to the incident, President Buhari said, “I’m devastated and saddened by this unfortunate tragedy that claimed the lives of passengers who happily left their homes without any idea that it was going to be their last day on earth.”
According to the President, “the frequency of road accidents is particularly worrisome and it calls for greater reflection on the importance of safety standards.”
“I understand that the accident was blamed on over-speeding and this account worries me deeply. Our drivers should take safety regulations seriously; they have the responsibility to protect their passengers. It’s unfortunate that ours is a country where, despite regular public enlightenment programmes by road safety officials, our recalcitrant drivers treat the issue with indifference,” the President lamented.
He added that, “adherence to safety standards and regulations can go a long way to protect lives.”
President Buhari extended his condolences to the Government of Kano State and the families of those who died in the accident.
