Comrade David Kerigbo Ugondo was born to the family of Late Pa Akerigbo Adikpo and wife, Mrs. Pam Akerigbo Adikpo on the 25th day of October 1950 in Achagh Mbaduku in Vandeikya Local Government of Benue State. His 67th birthday would be 25th of October. A well secured Nigeria gave birth and nurtured Comrade David into 27 years of meritorious service to industry and unionism. It is tragic that an unsecured Nigeria in 2017 made him vulnerable to day-light gunshots on Sunday September 10, 2017 by criminal armed robbers who attacked around Brinin Gwari town of Kaduna State. May God grant him and other victims which included an Army Captain and infant baby eternal rest in paradise. It is a sad commentary that good Nigerians are no longer secure as bad guys and marauders violently rob lives and properties. Without an official declaration of war, Nigerians die in the hands of armed robbers and criminals.
Road accidents and incidents have turned homes and work places to sudden mourners. Working men and women, including retirees such as Comrade David Kerigbo Ugondo have all become victims. Incidents of Armed robbery and kidnapping, armed attacks at home and along major highways are killing Nigerians more than HIV/AIDS! As an eternal tribute to Comrade Ugondo, it’s time to end the endless wastage of lives of Nigerians by criminals. The President, Vice President, the ministers and governors, local governments chairmen, including community chiefs as well as security agencies must urgently be on duty to protect lives and properties of Nigerians. If they fail in the fullest of times, workers will be forced to stay at home until workers’ lives are assured and protected. Nigeria parades an elected President. A Vice President. 36 ministers. 36 governors. 774 local governments chairmen. Some thousands of traditional rulers, district and community chiefs. Army men and women. Police men and women, State Security service men, intelligence service men and women. In addition we have Road safety commission, Civil Defence Commission and road marshals. Of course there are vigilante groups of different types. Nigeria has the highest number of retired heads of states and governors, military and police men on the continent. There are over paid 109 senators and 360 House of representatives expected to make laws on security and welfare of all of us! Yet at 10 a.m. armed bandits and armed robbers dared to block major highways such as Kaduna-Birnin Gwari highway, wantonly murdered passengers in public buses and disappeared into the bush. Nothing could be more unacceptable to say Nigeria is not governed at all. When accidents get frequent, they are no more accidents. They are incidents due to omission or commission! Almost everyday passengers are robbed on our roads, some unlucky killed.
Just a week after Comrade David Ugondo was killed, near Kakau toll gate, the car of one poor Sherif Yazid reportedly broke down. He reportedly came out to fix it. At day light 12 mid day on Monday 18th September, he was dragged out of his car, reportedly shot dead not far from police posts. The bandits audaciously went ahead to kidnap his wife demanded for a ransom of N20m before she was released. What is happening to us?! At 57th anniversary, this is not Nigeria of our dream but some Armageddon or an Africa Magic! I was once a victim too like many others. On Wednesday September 10, 2014, at the same notorious Rijana/Jere, I ran into some bandits. They blocked the road and robbed us all of our possession around 5pm from Abuja to Kaduna. The deep cutlass cut on my left arm remains a brutal reminder of that singular attack. But the accident impact of my Avensis car, which hit a car in my front at a high speed in a sharp bend (thank God for the seat belt!) remains a daily day mire anytime I pass through same place as I do almost everyday from Abuja to Kaduna, Vice Versa. To my surprise on that day, as I took to my heels following heavy gunshots, I saw heavily armed police men who leisurely drove past, did not fire a single shot nor made efforts to chase the criminals. After repeated calls for help the police grudgingly gave me a ride and dropped me back at the scene of the robbery to pick my battered car. The police left us behind without taking any report. I later wrote to the then Director of SSS who confirmed my phones, IPAD were cited in the same Jere town. No arrest was made. And am yet to see my robbed items. Since that time, more Nigerians have been robbed, killed and kidnapped along same route. As we rightly agonize the death of my good friend comrade Ugondo, all of must organize to speak out and act against serial armed robberies and kidnappings in our communities. We must demand for accountability on the part of our rulers. The blood of comrade Ugondo should not be wasted in vain. Authorities must know that victims are fathers and mothers, students and even potential governors not just crime statistics. As citizens, we must demand for consequences for security system failures on the part of those we elected and appointed to protect us all. Governors who seem overwhelmed and fail to protect lives and properties should resign failing which they be recalled and impeached. All governors took oath to implement 1999 constitution which says primary purpose of governance is security and welfare of citizens. Commissioners of police under whose commands robberies occur frequently should be removed and prosecuted for negligence. Same for security service agencies whose members are paid to secure us but look the other ways while we are being slaughtered.
Conversely the security officials who prevented and apprehended crimes should be promoted, honored and properly rewarded. 2019 elections should be based on who is capable of protecting us against untimely deaths weather caused by cholera, Malaria, Typhoid or Kidnappings and armed robberies. There must also be Road governance. Commercial bus companies who take their passengers through serial robbery routes, deliver them to mortuaries instead of their homes should be liable for culpability. Transporters must also as a matter of right be responsible for the safety of passengers through full disclosures of routes. They should not lead passengers by the nose to death traps. If they do they should be prosecuted. I thank the management of Kwara Express for the humanitarian gesture to console the David’s family with some cash support. This however is not enough. All transporters should insure their passengers with coverage that must include burials and compensation for the survivors of the passengers in cases of fatal accidents and robberies. The casualization of passengers’ lives before and after incidents must stop.
David lived and died on the sweat of his labour to humanity. Ugondo served diligently at the largest textile mill in Africa, United Nigeria Textile Limited (UNTL). He joined the company in 1978. He grew through the ranks to become the Disciplinary and Industrial Relations Officer of the company in 2004. He was at varying times elected official of our union, Textile workers union, branch Secretary and chairman of UNTL Kaduna, biggest in Africa, treasurer and Deputy President of the Union. Well traveled in Nigeria and abroad, the late comrade was survived by his dear wife, Madam Martina Kerigbo Ugondo, his aged mother and adult children.
Issa Aremu mni
