By Ojima-ojo Abubakar
The Ogun State Government has dismissed claims by Nollywood actor, Kunle Afod, that emergency responders took about 20 minutes to arrive at the scene of a fatal accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The government said its ambulance and personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps arrived at the accident scene in Saapade, near Ogere, 10 minutes after the incident was reported.
It said a passerby reported the accident at the FRSC point in Ogere, where a state ambulance was stationed, at 12:18 pm, while the emergency responders arrived at the scene at 12:28 pm.
The government attributed the response time to the need for the ambulance and other emergency personnel to navigate the expressway and turn to the opposite carriageway before reaching the accident scene.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Kayode Akinmade, the government said the Ogun State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System responded promptly and helped save lives.
It added that six ambulance points were located between OPIC and Ogunmakin along the expressway.
According to the statement, the state’s emergency call centre did not receive any distress call concerning the accident.
The government said the police and the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency also participated in the rescue operation.
It explained that the victims were initially taken to Victory Hospital, Ogere, while those with serious injuries were transported by the state ambulance to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu.
The government, however, accused Afod of politicising the accident and attempting to portray the Abiodun administration in a bad light through his video of the incident.
It alleged that the actor was a supporter of the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in the state, Ladi Adebutu, claiming that he had produced campaign videos for the opposition politician days before the accident.
Akinmade said Afod was entitled to support any political candidate but should not allow partisan interests to influence his comments on an incident involving injured victims and their families.
The statement described the actor’s claims as false and accused him of attempting to incite public anger against the state government.
“It is unfortunate that a partisan Nollywood actor chose to purvey falsehood out of spite, making utter mockery of the respected industry he represents,” the statement said.
It added, “Contrary to the wild, patently false claims by Mr Kunle Afod intended to incite violence against the Ogun State Government, the Ogun State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (OGSAES) responded swiftly to the accident in question.”
The government said the Abiodun administration would not be distracted by what it described as politically motivated attempts to discredit its emergency response system.
It also commiserated with the families of those affected by the accident and wished the injured victims a speedy recovery.
The government urged motorists to observe traffic regulations, avoid excessive speeding, dangerous overtaking and reckless driving, and ensure their vehicles were roadworthy.
It maintained that road safety was a shared responsibility and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives on highways across the state.
Akinmade urged residents to report emergencies through the state’s dedicated emergency line, 08112000033.
The statement clarified that Ogun State was not currently operating the national emergency number 112, explaining that the Nigerian Communications Commission had yet to make the service functional in the state despite efforts to activate it.
