Zamfara State Governor, Hon Bello Mohammed Matawalle has promised to introduce serious punitive measures of death sentence on reckless drivers in the state.
The Governor who revealed this when he led members of his Executive Council and the Management of BUA Group to a condolence visit to the Emir of Gusau, Alhaji Ibrahim Bello over the death of 15 persons from the emirate also said such drivers will be compelled by law to pay compensation on every life lost.
This was contained in a press statement signed and issued to newsmen in Gusau, the state capital by the governor’s Director-General, Media and Public Enlightenment Affairs, Mr. Yusuf Idris Gusau.
Governor Matawalle who expressed sadness over the death of fifteen persons who lost their lives as a result of reckless driving by a truck driver who ran into them last Wednesday along Gusau/Zaria road announced a donation of N2 million to families of each of the deceased who had a wife and N1.5 million to families of those unmarried among them.
“In my magnanimity, I likewise declared that I will put the next of kin of each of the victims on a monthly allowance of N50,000 each.”
He stated that the fifteen next of kin will remain on the state’s payroll till the end of his tenure as governor of the state.
The governor explained that his administration will introduce speed limit gauge on highways as well as weight measurement on trucks and drug tests on drivers in order to guard against rough and reckless driving which he said usually ends up in fatalities.
Matawalle noted that the measures had become necessary so that drivers and their families will no longer think they will have it easy if the drivers kill anyone, adding that the lives of the citizens of the state are more valuable than any other thing.
He urged management of BUA company to call their drivers to order and caution them on acceptable speed limit.
Governor Matawalle described the accident which claimed the fifteen lives as monumental and called on the families of the deceased to consider it as an act of Allah, praying that the deceased persons’ souls will be accepted in Jannatul Firdaus.
