A bus driver, Taiye Adams, who was involved in accident with ex-governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has accused him of refusing to repair or replace his damaged bus.
The Lagos State Traffic Management
Authority also accused the former governor of damaging their motorcycle
he allegedly crushed in the accident on the Third Mainland Bridge in
Lagos.
They said efforts to reach the governor or his aides had
proved abortive since the accident occurred on December 5, 2018, Punch
Metro reports.
On the said day, the former governor was
reportedly speeding on the Third Mainland Bridge when he rammed into
Adam’s bus and the motorcycle, which belongs to LASTMA.
The
ex-governor, who sustained minor injuries as a result of the crash, was
taken to a hospital for treatment after which he was discharged.
But the owner of the bus, Adams, said Fayose had promised to replace his mangled vehicle, but had refused to honour his word.
He said,
“My vehicle had broken down on the Third Mainland Bridge that day
when a LASTMA official rode his motorcycle to the spot. He called a
towing truck from their office at Iyana Oworo. I put a C-Caution sign on
the road to warn other motorists.
“While we awaited the arrival of the towing truck, the LASTMA official was also diverting traffic from my bus.
“Fayose, who was alone in his car, was driving on top speed when he
rammed into my bus. He also crushed the LASTMA motorcycle. A lot of
people came to his rescue and the vehicles were taken to the LASTMA
office at Iyana Oworo.”
The 42-year-old Offa, Kwara State
indigene said when he approached the traffic agency a few days after the
accident, he was assured that Fayose would compensate him.
Adams
said he was later referred to the LASTMA headquarters at Oshodi, where
he met one Mr Bakare, the official in charge of the case.
He added,
“I told him that the bus had been damaged beyond repairs. Mr Bakare
asked me the value of the vehicle and I told him it was N1.7m. He said
Fayose would pay the money.
“When I did not get any feedback,
I went back on December 23, 2018. The LASTMA officer said Fayose was
not responding. I asked him if the ex-governor did not admit to his
fault or he was not just ready to replace my bus. Mr Bakare said he did
not respond. When I consulted with my union leaders at the motor park, I
was advised to get a lawyer to engage with Fayose.”
The case had been referred to the Femi Falana Chambers.
The spokesperson for LASTMA, Mr Mahmud Hassan, said aides of the former governor had taken Fayose’s vehicle from the yard.
He
noted that Fayose and his aides did not honour their promise to
compensate the driver, adding that the agency’s damaged motorcycle was
also left unattended to by the ex-governor.
Hassan stated,
“Our motorbike was also badly damaged. The bus, the motorbike and
Fayose’s vehicle were all moved from the road to our yard. His aides
came to our yard to remove his vehicle and they promised to get back to
us. But we have yet to hear from Fayose or his aides.
“Because of his status, we believe that something will be done. But as
we speak, even our damaged motorbike is there just like that.”
Fayose
could not be reached on his two telephone lines and text messages sent
to the numbers were not responded to as of press time.
His spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, who was the first to break the news on Twitter, could also not be reached on the telephone.
Messages sent to him on Twitter had yet to be replied to as of the time of filing this report.
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