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•Volunteer road repairer in FCT gets car gift following Daily Sun report
•He’s displayed heroism, commitment to better society, says donor
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
It was a moment of joy for Mr. Daniel Davou, a father of three in his 60s, who was gifted a brand new truck for the volunteer work of road repairs that he has been doing for over 30 years in several dilapidated roads in Abuja, particularly in the Nyanya/Mararaba axis.
Mr. Davou couldn’t hold his emotions when he was handed the key to the brand new truck that was procured for him by Mr. Godwin Adoga, a philanthropist, education consultant and Chairman of OG Capital, a financial advisory company, to support the volunteer road repairs that Mr. Davou has been doing for decades.
Mr. Adoga said he began to search for Mr. Davou shortly after he read a news report in our sister publication, the Daily Sun, concerning the volunteer work that Mr. Davou had been doing, and how he had used the platform to ameliorate the sufferings of motorists in Abuja, particularly those living in the satellite towns.
In 2017, Daily Sun had published a story of Mr. Davou, highlighting the positive impacts his volunteer work has had on road users in several satellite towns in Abuja, particularly in Nyanya, Karu, Kurudu, Orozo, Jikwoyi, Mararaba, and even extended to Asokoro.
Few years after, Daily Sun did a follow-up report on him, soliciting support for him to expand his work considering the fact that population was on the increase, hence the stress on infrastructure particularly the roads that were being overused.
Why I’m repairing Abuja roads by myself
Mr. Davou told Daily Sun that he started the volunteer work of road repairs nearly 30 years ago when he was far younger and energetic, because of his passion and desire to see motorists move freely during the morning and evening hours.
Mr. Davou said he had mobilised his personal resources to the work, and had even deployed his Toyota Carina E to the work, using it to pack laterite and gravel to patch potholes in roads in Nyanya, Karu, Kurudu, Orozo, Jikwoyi, Mararaba, and even extended to some parts of Asokoro.
He added: “I have received insults, physical and verbal abuses, as well as discriminations from people within and outside my family. People have reminded me that I have not increased since I have been doing this work for decades. My children have also had their fair share of the insults and abuses, with their friends in school and in streets using some derogatory words on them because of the status of their father.
“My wife was also bothered at the beginning of the marital journey. At a time, she became ashamed of me, and wasn’t proud to identify with me in the public. But I continued to speak to her and plead with her to allow me continue with the work, and she continued until her death in 2017.
“I am very much aware that what I am doing ought to be the job of the government, but it is obvious that the government was not forthcoming with the solutions. So, I took it upon myself to make the roads motorable for the people, and I have done that for nearly 30 years now.
“It may interest you to know that I started this volunteer road repair when AYA-Nyanya-Mararaba road was one lane with few vehicles plying the road. Then, there was no FCT administration presence in that part of Abuja. But I moved to internal roads within the locations where government attention couldn’t reach, but that was after the Abuja-Keffi road was built, even though I still intervene from time to time.
“I attach strong importance to the free movement of human and vehicles, and that forced me to engage my little resources to achieve the objective. Because I was much younger and stronger then, I had the strength to use wheelbarrow to pack laterite from one location to another for the job.
“I acquired Audi 80 few years later with my little savings which further helped me significantly in the job. People were happy with what I was doing as could be seen in their cheers and financial appreciations, even when they were under no obligation to appreciate me, financially or otherwise, because it was my passion to do community work.
“At a point, I became discouraged and almost quit the community service but that was when my wife was killed by armed robbers who had broken into my house one fateful morning in 2017. I had left my house early morning on that fateful day for my routine road repair. Few hours later, I received a call that armed robbers had broken into my house and my wife was shot in the process of their operations.
“Expectedly, I was broken, but I continued the work after her burial, and that was because of my determination to make the roads better for free movement, and I am happy that the goal was being achieved, and people are happy with me as could be seen in their endless appreciations, cheers and prayers. That has been my source of motivation and has kept me going.”
Reward from unexpected quarters
He expressed appreciation for the support of a brand new truck that came from OG Capital to enable him expand his volunteer road work. “This came to me as a surprise because I never expected that it would come from such a young man. My eyes and hope were on people like some Senators or the AMAC chairman, but the help came from where it was least expected.
“Since I took delivery of the truck, my work has expanded and I am happier and more fulfilled. The truck has helped me significantly to reach several places on same day. I can fill the truck with laterite or gravel, and use it at different locations in a day. It saves me time and allows me cover more places in a day or within a period of time.
“I could still recall the day Mr. Adoga from OG Capital called me to come to his office, that he had a gift for me. I never took him seriously because I thought he was a fraudster. He spoke to me several times and had to convince me that he wasn’t a fraudster, and that he wanted to fulfil a promise he made to me some time ago.
“I drew courage from my family members and went to the location he gave me. Lo and behold, a new truck was handed over to me after he explained to me how people appreciate me and my work, and how some money was raised from his friends to procure the truck for me. I was speechless. I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. I appreciated the donor and prayed that God would reward him abundantly, increase his business and also bless him with long life in good health, alongside his friends that contributed in one way or the other.
“Mr. Adoga said the people appreciated me and encouraged me to continue the good works, assuring me that more blessings would come if only I can continue to be sincere and steadfast in my work. I promised him that I would continue to be steadfast.
“Since I started this work about three decades ago, I have not been given such a huge gift. But I have consistently enjoyed financial appreciations and cheers from motorists who are happy with what I do. My expectations and hope were obviously where God never destined. My family is happy and they prayed that God should abundantly bless and increase the donor, financially and otherwise.
Insulted on the job
“Many people have insulted me over these years. They said that I am wasting my time and energy doing a “thankless” work. Some asked me to go back to the farm, and others asked that I should go and learn some work. Even the woman I married after the death of my first wife was not different, even though I expected it. We had issues on this matter in the early days of the marriage. She suggested that I quit the work but I appealed to her to allow me continue with the community service because it’s my passion which she reluctantly accepted.
“She was full of joy and gratitude the day I told her that I got a brand new truck from a philanthropist, Mr. Adoga, to expand my work. In fact, she and my children went with me to the office of OG Capital where the gift of a brand new truck was handed over to me.
“My children are grown and are also proud of me now unlike years ago that they never wanted to identify with me. My first child (female) is in her late 20s. She and her brother used to be ashamed of me when they were much younger, and I don’t blame them because I believe it was the discrimination and attitude that come from their friends in school that made them act that way.”
Reason he got a truck from us – Adoga
Chairman of OG Capital, Mr. Godwin Adoga, said he took it upon himself to appreciate Mr. Davou, who, according to him, has displayed heroism and commitment to a better society, as against what political leaders do with the commonwealth of the people.
Mr. Adoga said he tasked his friends and associates to raise funds to procure the vehicle for Mr. Davou to enable him expand his work. “In the course of the campaign, people attested to the fact that they know and had seen the man over the years doing the volunteer road repairs and they were happy with his work.
“So, what we did was to highlight and appreciate the heroism of Mr. Davou. Unfortunately, we have people in our society that loot common resources of the people, and we keep hailing them. But people like Mr. Davou, who have genuine commitment for a better society, should be supported without looking back.
“When I invited him to my office to collect the truck, he came with his wife and children. I told him how people who have been seeing him and his work appreciated him by contributing to the cause of procuring the truck for him. He was full of joy and gratitude. My team and I couldn’t interpret the expression on his face when I told him the amount that was raised.
“He became more emotional when I took him to the truck and handed over the key and the papers of the truck to him. He screamed alongside his wife to the point that neighbours and passers-by were wondering what could have happened. They felt down flat praising God and showering me with prayers and words of appreciation.
“The expressions became embarrassing at a point because himself and his wife were kneeling down to appreciate the kind gesture, thus attracting public attention.
“In addition to that, we also gave him an award of excellence for service to humanity. We also gave him our branded vest (OG Capital) making him a brand and someone we are proud to associate with.”
‘We’re happy dad’s efforts are being recognised’
Mr. Davou’s eldest daughter, Blessing, said she was happy that her father has been recognized and rewarded after several years of volunteer road work. My brother and myself were never proud of what our father was doing as job years ago, because he was working and no one was recognising and appreciating him.
“Most times, we cried silently when we saw him doing the work on our way to school. But there was nothing we could do. We had to accept our fate because that was obviously the way God designed it. But we are happy that he is being recognised and rewarded by individuals for the great service that he had rendered to the communities for decades now.”
Another of his daughter, Judith, 15, also appreciated Nigerians for the support they gave to her father, and prayed that more rewards would come. She noted that her father had contributed immensely to the society.”
Endless ordeals of residents of FCT’s satellite communities
In FCT, there are several satellite towns that surround the city centre. These satellite towns are home to the larger percentage of low/middle class people who ‘service’ the elite in the city centre. While some of the satellite towns like Gishiri, Kpaduma, Mpape, Durumi, Kado-kuchi, among others, are located few metres away from the well designed districts, others like Nyanya, Karu, Kurudu, Orozo, Kuje, Kubwa, Lugbe, Dutse, Gwagwalada, Deidei, Karimo, Idu, among others, are located few kilometres away from the city centre.
Majority of residents of these communities are practically frustrated because they are far from good amenities that make life better. Evident in these communities are poor power supply, dilapidated and ill-equipped schools, poor healthcare services and unchecked criminal activities. Poor access roads to these communities also add to the sorry state of infrastructure, making it difficult for the people to connect easily to the city centre for their daily activities.
And there is increasing surge in the population of these communities because of what people see as the affordable cost of living therein. The people seem to have found solace in the satellite communities despite the obvious absence or inadequate basic amenities that could improve their comfort and healthy living.
However, the situation was unleashing more frustrations on the residents, particularly motorists who had to spend more on car repairs to keep them on the road. Commercial vehicle operators passed the burden of car maintenance on passengers.
These frustrated residents and motorists have complained among themselves, and even took to various media platforms and social media to draw the attention of the FCT Administration and even the Federal Government.
But in all these, little or no response has come their way from the FCT Administration or the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Works or the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) regarding these satellite towns’ roads.
Gradually, roads in these satellite towns have deteriorated and became impassable. Little potholes widened, cracks appeared, and the roads failed, thus becoming impassable for motorists.
Many of the communities have, thus resorted to personal and community service to ameliorate the effects of the bad roads. But that has been difficult to sustain.
