Tragic death of Radio presenter, Deborah Ohamara raises concerns on safety of Nigerian road
…As Journalists, former FRSC boss, Osita Chidoka expresses sadness over the los
By Our Correspondent
The tragic death of a renown Radio Presenter, Deborah Ohamara in a road accident on Abuja Airport Road at the weekend has thrown the media family into a mourning mood just as it again raises concerns on the safety of Nigerian roads.
Debbie, as she was popularly called was crushed by a truck on Saturday on her way to the Nigeria Info 95.1 FM station along Airport Road, Abuja.
According to Fidel Oseghsle, a colleague of Deborah Ohamara, “Debbie had an accident on her way to the office on Saturday January 13, 2024. A car hit hers from the rear she lost control and ran into a moving truck several metres to City Gate.
“Seeing what had transpired, the hit-and-run driver escaped leaving Debbie helpless”.
He said “the kind-hearted” truck driver had to rush Debbie to the National Hospital for treatment but by this time she was unconscious due to excessive bleeding.
“Debbie remained unconscious and in a critical condition as a result of a fractured face according to the CT Scan result”, adding that “most of my colleagues and I spent our entire Saturday at the National Hospital”.
Expressing sadness over the tragic loss, former Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Commission, (FRSC), Osita Chidoka said “Deborah should not have died”.
According to him, “road crashes are not ordained by God. It is a consequence of our actions or inactions. I am angry. I have bottled up emotions since 2014 because road safety is a passion for me not a job.
“Deborah, the golden voice, as she was known, performed two Patty Obasi songs very well. I was Impressed. I asked her why she was not a musician and learned she was a radio presenter.
Mr. Chidoka, also a former Aviation Minister said the Airport Road in Abuja is poorly designed, adding “the effort to get Ministry of Works to submit road designs for safety audits has been ignored.
“We created a department for Safety Engineering based on advice from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and got a US government grant for Chicago University to train FRSC staff. The plan is that safety audits should become part of our road contracting mechanism.
On his part, the Chairman of the Correspondent Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Jide Oyekunle, said “On a sad note, it is unfortunate to announce the passing of a staff member of the ( Nigeria Info FM Abuja ), Deborah Ohamara who was involved in a car accident along Airport Road.”
Mr. Oyekunle has also asked members to pray for the repose of the soul of Deborah.
Members of the union in their various comments on the post lamented her death. They prayed for the repose of her soul and asked God to grant her family, the fortitude to bear her loss.
Deborah wrote this about herself:
“Deborah Ihekeremma Ohamara is first a multi-linguals, voice-over artist, translator, and communicator with about a decade of experience in Newscasting, reporting, and editing. I am obsessed with putting a smile on every face and connecting with people to calm their nerves from the tension of life’s hassles.
“An encounter with me will leave you better than before.
“At present on Nigeria Info FM Abuja, I anchor the Sunday morning show where we fuse in entertainment, news, chit chats, and sensible gist that will engage and grow your mind all day long. As a light worker, my every intention is aimed at healing the world, you can join me by sharing love and dispelling bad energy wherever you go”.
