FUL ASUU urges FG, Kogi govt to prevent incessant auto crashes along Felele – Abuja expressway

…Commiserates management, students, parents of deceased

The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities Federal University (ASUU) Lokoja, chapter, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently take action that will prevent recurrence of incessant articulated vehicles accident along the Federal University corridor of the Okene-Abuja expressway.

The union has equally commiserated with the Management, families of the deceased students, their colleagues and the entire University community over the loss of five students in the ghastly accident that occurred on Monday 17th January, 2025.

According to a press release signed by Joshua Silas, chairman of ASUU-FUL and made available to journalists in Lokoja on Friday, noted that the Union was grieved by the terrible untimely death of their beloved students, in an accident by a heavy-duty vehicle which crushed a mini-bus transporting students to the University.

The statement stated that the death of the young, promising lives was a heart-breaking tragedy, as their thoughts and prayers are with the families at this terrible time.

The ASUU chairman assured that the Union stands in solidarity with the whole student body as they mourn the death of their colleagues, as he lamented that this accident was not the first time that students and members of the university community have met such awful ends on the treacherous highway, stressing that the frequency of its occurrence was of grave concern and requires immediate action from all relevant stakeholders.

He said: “It is clear that a lack of appropriate infrastructure, including student hostels and staff quarters on university grounds forces a large number of students and staff to commute everyday over this perilous roadway, exposing them to unnecessary dangers.

“In view of this repeated tragedy, ASUU-FUL urges both the Kogi State Government and the Federal Government of Nigeria to work with the university Management in finding long-term solutions to this problem.

“We demand for immediate construction of Student Hostels and Staff Quarters as Many students and staff are compelled to live off-campus due to insufficient housing at the institution. The construction of hostels and staff quarters will dramatically reduce the number of individuals who commute every day, lowering their exposure to traffic risks.

“Enhancement of Security on Campus to improve campus security would not only
make the learning environment safer, but will also forestall the danger of abduction and other criminal activity on campus. This will make living on- campus more attractive.

“Construction of a Dedicated Truck Lane or Bypass on the Abuja-Lagos highway which is one of the country’s busiest and high-risk routes. We encourage the government to designate a separate lane for heavy-duty vehicles or build a bypass to move truck traffic away from important commuter routes and opening a road through the University to Link Felele and Agbaja road.