Sports minister Dalung explains cause of convoy accident which killed 1 person

- Solomon Dalung has given details on the accident which claimed one live on his convoy

- He said the driver of the 406 Peugeot which was also involved in the accident swapped off immediately he saw the convoy

- Dalung also read riot act to youth of Gombe state

The minister of sport and youths development, Solomon Dalung, has disclosed the cause of the road mishap which befell his convoy in Gombe on Saturday, July 21.

Dalung said the driver of the 406 Peugeot swapped off immediately he saw the convoy, he panic and swapped off into the right hand side and went into the bush.

The minister's convoy was returning from Gombe airport when, in Akku village, some kilometres away from the city centre when a 406 Peugeot heading to Bauchi rammed into the convoy and somersaulted with flames.

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A brand new SUV and another 18-seater executive bus belonging to the commandant of the Peace Corps of Nigeria, Dickson Akoh also somersaulted.

One casualties and several injuries were recorded in the unfortunate incidence.

Speaking to journalists in Gombe, Dalung said: "He manipulated his way trying to come back to the highway but when he came this time, he crossed over and then smashed about 2 or 3 vehicles in the convoy and the car somersaulted, went into flames, one of our vehicles also somersaulted and we have some degrees of injuries and also fracture. From what I was told, we lost one life instantly".

Also responding to question on his effort to rescue the victims, the minister said: "It was only my car and one other car that left the scene immediately, the rest of the convoy reversed back and attended to them and moved them to the hospital and I immediately visited them in the two hospitals where they are receiving treatment. As I'm talking right now, seven people have been discharged out of the number."

The sports minister also read the riot act to those whom he described as "elements who hijacked the National Youth Council of Nigeria" for personal enrichment, while "truncating the vision and mission of youth agenda in Nigeria".

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Dalung said as a sign of respect for the departed souls, the election would be shifted to Sunday, July 22.

He added that despite distractions and antics of those who do not want the progress of the NYCN, the convention would still hold in Gombe as planned.

"We will not be deterred because we are committed to deliver credible leadership in NYCN. We will proceed," Dalung added.

He also commended the delegates for traveling far distances.

He said: "For those who believe that the NYCN is a platform for making wealth, let me advise them, they can join Dangote group of companies, that is where wealth is created; those of us who think we can use the platform of NYCN to blossom our political ambitions, let me advise you that the APC, the PDP and the other 77 political parties are there for you, go and join one of them.

For those of us who think we are strong and popular and the only place we can take refuge is to surrender ourselves to some powerful politicians who will sponsor us to continue to truncate the vision of the youth of Nigeria, I advise you, there are so many criminal groups, go and join one," he said.

Dalung was in Gombe for the National Unity Convention of NYCN, after 10 years of inability to hold successful convention.

He was received at the airport by Akoh who also doubles as the chairman of board of the council.

NAIJ.com previously reported that one person was killed in an accident involving a motorcade of the minister of sports and development.

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Twenty other people were also said to have sustained various degrees of injury at the accident.

Sunday Jika, the officer-in-charge Gombe state marshal, a local security outfit, who was among the minister’s motorcade confirmed this to newsmen on Saturday, July 21, in Gombe.

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Source: Naija.ng