Who Killed Abaane?

AS RELATIONS of deceased Upper East Regional Enquirer reporter, Samuel Abaane, accuse hospital authorities of negligence, leading to Abaane's untimely death, officials of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) have come clear on the matter. 

The victim, according to them, was the first causality in the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) bus accident as he was thrown out of the vehicle after the impact from the Benz bus.

Addressing journalists at his office, the regional manager of the NRSC in charge of Upper East and Northern regions, Thomas Bismarck Boakye, accused both drivers of recklessness.

According to him, both vehicles were overloaded, over speeding and the drivers also failed to observe mandatory road signs, hence the fatal accident.

He disclosed that the MMT was required to pick only 63 passengers, but had conveyed more than that.  

The deceased journalist, he explained, was among the extra passengers who were either standing or sitting on unapproved seats. 

He explained that Abaane, at the time of the incident, was sitting on the engine compartment of the bus and when it collided head on with the Benz bus, he was thrown out through the windscreen, resulting in multiple injuries which caused his death. 

The Benz bus, at the time of the incident, was also overloaded with roofing sheets, wooden boards and drums of locally distilled Akpeteshie.

The bus, officials of the NRSC indicated, was at the time being driven by one Danladi Salifu, the driver's mate who was not very conversant with the steering wheel.

In his attempt to overtake a tipper truck on leaving the Savelugu township, he veered off his lane and into the lane of the MMT bus, resulting in the collision.

He pegged the total number of dead persons including the Bolgatanga-based journalists at 28, comprising 19 men, 4 children and 5 women.  

Out of this number, he noted, 22 died on the spot while 6 died later and had since been identified by their relations, except 3 bodies.

Forty-Six other passengers, he added, were treated and discharged for minor injuries while 14 others in critical condition were still on admission.

The NRSC boss mentioned plans to airlift the 14 to Accra for special attention as the facilities at the Tamale Teaching Hospital would be unable to contain their condition. 

He cautioned drivers to endeavour to adhere to road traffic signs in order to avert the needless carnages on the country's roads, appealing to MMT officials to organize routine courses for their drivers. 

 It will be recalled that a fatal accident involving an MMT bus and a 207 Benz bus at Yoo near Savelugu in the Savelugu-Nanton District left 28 persons dead including the Upper East Regional correspondent of the Enquirer Newspaper, Samuel Abaane.  

More than 30 other persons also suffered various degrees of injury, with over a dozen in critical condition, after the Tamale-bound MMT bus with registration number AS 9905 Y collided head-on with the Bunkpurugu-bound Benz bus registered AS 7510 F.  

According to officials of the MMT, the MMT bus was coming from Tamale while the other one was leaving Kumasi when both run into each other at about 8:30 am, close to the Savelugu School for the Deaf.  According to Lambon Duut, one of the three survivors on the Benz bus, they left Kumasi at about midnight and on leaving the outskirts of the Savelugu Township, the driver veered off the road and run into the lane of the MMT bus, resulting in the accident.

DSP GCK Blewushie, Northern Regional MTTU boss who was also at the briefing, indicated that his outfit was still scouting for the owner of the Benz bus to ascertain certain facts for investigations.

From Stephen Zoure, Tamale