My Husband Died In Accident Just Two Days To Quit Job - Wife Of Late BRT Driver

According to Punch Metro, Bose, the wife of a BRT driver killed in an accident along Ikorodu Road, Joseph Olayemi, has revealed how the incident shattered the family’s plan for a better and prosperous future.

The widow lamented that the tragedy struck two days before her husband would stop working for Primero Transport Service Limited – the operator of BRT – and establish his own business.

The PUNCH had reported that about 16 people escaped death when two BRT buses collided at the Agric bus stop in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State on Sunday, October 20.

The buses were identified as No. 432, driven by Olayemi, and No. 336, driven by Wilson Anta. Olayemi was said to be picking passengers at the bus stop when Anta, who claimed that his bus had a brake failure rammed into bus 432. The passengers and the drivers sustained varying degrees of injury in the process.

Olayemi later died on arrival at a hospital and was buried on Friday.

In an interview with Punch Metro on Thursday, the deceased’s wife said she received the news of her husband’s death with a rude shock.

The mother of three, who works at a company in the Ojota area of the state, said the demands of her job and her husband’s were creeping into the proper upbringing of their children.

She said 49-year-old Olayemi decided to resign and start up an auto spare parts business to afford the family more time to look after the kids – Adeola, 12; Fadekemi, nine and seven-year-old Temilade.

It was learnt that Adeola is in Junior Secondary School 2 while Fadekemi and Temilade are in Primary six and four respectively.

Bose stated that some representatives of the company visited the family and promised to assist in taking care of the children.

She said, “They spoke well about him. I pleaded with them to assist in the wellbeing of my children. They are all in school. I don’t want them to regret that their father is dead. The company promised to pay us his pension and insurance entitlement.

“Tuesday, October 22, was supposed to be his last day at work. He was planning to open an auto spare parts shop with his pension and savings. I work for a company in Ojota and it has not been easy for us to look after our children. The nature of our work has started affecting our home. That was why he decided to resign and go into business. He started working with LAGBUS and when Primero kicked off, he joined the company.”

Bose described Olayemi as ‘a wonderful husband,’ whom she would sorely miss, noting that she was worried about her life without him.

“I didn’t know how to cope without him. He was more of a friend than a husband. We don’t have much but we are contented. My boss and her friends can talk about my husband,” she added.

A relation of the deceased, Mr Femi Adefila, said he and Olayemi lived together for many years before the deceased married.

He said the indigene of Ora, Igbomina in Osun State was a good fellow whose death was difficult to believe.

Adefila stated, “He was like a son and brother. I can’t forget the time we spent together. Even after he married, he was still living in my area in Ikorodu. We were close and he came to me for advice. He told me he had already resigned and he was expecting his entitlement which he wanted to use to start business. I was surprised when I got a call from the company. By the time I got to the hospital, he had died.

“What is bothering my mind now is the education of his three children. The managing director of the company visited us and promised to take care of the children’s education.”

The Chief Security Officer, Primero Transport Service Limited, Cletus Okodolor, who commiserated with Olayemi’s family, said the company would compensate the family.

Okodolor said, “The Managing Director of Primero Transport Service Limited, Fola Tinubu, led the management team to pay a condolence visit to Olayemi’s family and promised to take responsibility for the burial and all necessary compensation will be paid to his wife, because Olayemi left behind three children.”

The crash occurred barely two months after a driver of the company, Samuel Akpochi, a father of three, was killed in an accident involving his bus and a Dangote truck at Ogolonto, Ikorodu. Adesina Siyanbola, a driver newly employed by the firm and was on the bus with Akpochi, escaped with injuries.