How i escaped Gombe fatal accident involving 7 journalists – NTA journalist
By Nick Yashi, Jalingo
In what could be described as a twist of fate, a journalist and staff of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Gombe, Joseph Zanna Gambo, has narrated how he narrowly escaped the accident that killed seven of his colleagues on Monday.
Recall that seven members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), lost their lives in a fatal road accident while returning from a wedding ceremony in Kaltungo, Gombe South Senatorial District.
The victims, five of which were staff of NTA Gombe, were part of a delegation that had travelled to attend the wedding of their colleague.
Gambo, a staff of NTA Gombe, was in Jalingo for the holiday, but travelled back to Gombe to join his colleagues for the wedding.
While speaking with our reporter, Gambo revealed that he was supposed to join the ill-fated vehicle back to Gombe but was alerted on Sunday of the death of his brother in Jalingo and therefore had to return to Jalingo instead of proceeding to Gombe.
He stated: “I slept in Biliri on that Sunday. If i had stayed after the wedding, i would have joined them in the vehicle to Gombe. But i received the news of the death of my brother in Taraba which prevented me from joining them to Gombe.
“The wedding ended and it was on their way back to Gombe that this incident happened.
“So i arrived Jalingo, and three hours later, i called to ask how the wedding ended when i was told of the sad incident.
“It is quite unfortunate. Seven persons perished at once”.
While thanking God for his grace over him, Gambo consoled the family of the dead. He was short of words as he attempted to narrate his last encounter with his late colleagues.
He also explained the implication of the loss on his organization’s workforce.
“The grace of God is so sufficient. I always give thanks to God. My heart goes to those who have lost their loved ones. Five of them were my colleagues. In fact, i was with Hajiya in the office.. Kai, just forget it, things have gone bad”!
“The General Manager would be so devastated seeing that majority of us have been transfered out of the station”.
According to Gambo, one of the victims. (Judith) was a cancer survivor. “So you can see that cancer did not kill her but accident killed her”.
•Governor Kefas commiserates with NUJ, bereaved families
Meanwhile, Taraba State Governor, Dr Agbu Kefas has commiserated with the Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ over the unfortunate demise of seven journalists in a road crash on Monday.
In a statement issued in Jalingo on Wednesday, and signed by his Spokesman, Emmanuel Bello, the governor noted that journalists, as members of the Forth Estate of the Realm play pivotal roles in shaping opinion and steering national discuss and so the sudden death of so many journalists at a time is a national disaster.
The statement reads: “Taraba State governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas has received with shock the demise of seven staff of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in an auto crash on their way to Gombe from a wedding in Kaltungo.
“Governor Kefas described the accident as a national tragedy. He added that the staff died in active service, stressing that their labour to the country would never be forgotten.
Governor Kefas also stressed that journalists’ welfare is key to press freedom in the country.
The governor also paid his condolences to the government and people of Gombe state and prayed for the repose of the souls of the departed.
