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•After The Sun special report, roads repair volunteer gets new truck
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
It was a moment of joy for Mr. Daniel Davou, a man in his 60s and father of three, who was gifted a brand new truck for the volunteer work of road repair that he has been doing for over 30 years on several dilapidated roads in Abuja, particularly in the Nyanya/Mararaba axis.
Davou couldn’t hide his emotions when he was handed the key to the brand new truck that was procured for him by a philanthropist and chairman of OG Capital, Mr. Godwin Adoga, as part of support for the volunteer road repair that he (Davou) has been doing for decades.
Mr. Adoga said he began to search for Davou shortly after he read a news report in the The Sun newspaper concerning the volunteer work that he has been doing, and how he had used that platform to ameliorate the sufferings of motorists in Abuja, particularly those living in the satellite towns.
In 2017, The Sun published a story of Davou, highlighting the positive impacts his volunteer work had on road users in several satellite towns in Abuja, particularly in Nyanya, Karu, Kurudu, Orozo, Jikwoyi, Mararaba, and even extended to Asokoro.
A few years ago, another follow-up report was done on him, calling for support for him to expand his work, considering the fact that population was on the increase, hence the stress on infrastructures, particularly the roads, being over-used.
Davou told The Sun in course of the conversation that he started the volunteer road repairs over 30 years ago, when he was far younger and energetic, and that was due to his passion and desire to see motorists move freely during the morning and evening hours.
Davou said he had mobilized his personal resources and even deployed his Toyota Carina E to the work, using it to pack laterite and gravel to fill portholes in roads in Nyanya, Karu, Kurudu, Orozo, Jikwoyi, Mararaba and even extended to some parts of Asokoro.
He said: “I have received insults, physical and verbal abuse, as well as discrimination from people. People have reminded me that I have not increased since I have been doing this work for decades. My children have also had a fair share of the insults and abuse, 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 journey. At a time, she became ashamed of me, and wasn’t proud to identify with me in 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 they are 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 over 30 years now.
“It may interest you to know that I started this volunteer road repair when AYA-Nyanya-Mararaba Road was one lane. Then, there was no FCT administration’s presence in this part of Abuja. But I moved to internal roads within these locations where government’s attention couldn’t reach, but that was after the Abuja-Keffi Road was built.
“I attach strong importance to free movement of humans 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 a few years later, which further helped me significantly in the job. People were happy with what I was doing and they appreciated me, even when they were under no obligation to contribute, financially or otherwise, because it was my passion to do community work.
“At a point, I became discouraged and almost quit, but that was when my wife was killed by armed robbers who broke into my house one fateful day in 2017. I left my house early morning on that fateful day for my routine road repair. A few hours later, I received a call that armed robbers broke into my house and my wife was shot during their operation.
“Expectedly, I was broken but continued the work after her burial, and that was because of my determination to make the roads better for free movement. I am happy that the goal is being achieved, and people are happy with me as could be seen in their endless appreciation, cheers and prayers. That has been my source of motivation and has kept me going.”
He said he appreciated the support of a brand new truck from OG Capital to enable him expand his volunteer road work. He further said: “This came to me as a surprise because I never expected that it would come from such a young man. My eye and hope were on people like Senator Philip Aduda, 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 the same day. I could 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 shorter period of time.
“I still recall the day Mr. Godwin 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, that he wanted to fulfill the promise he made to me some years ago.
“I summoned courage 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 appreciated me and my work, and how some money was raised 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, increase his business and bless him with long life in good health, alongside his friends that contributed in one way or the other.
“Mr. Godwin Adoga said the people appreciated me and encouraged me to continue the good works, assuring me that more blessings would come, if only I remained sincere and steadfast in my work, which I promised him that I would do.
“Since I started this work decades ago, I have not been given such a huge gift. I have only enjoyed financial appreciation and cheers from motorists who are happy with what I do. My expectations and hope were obviously where God destined. My family is happy and they prayed that God would abundantly bless and increase the donor, financially and otherwise.
“Many people have ‘yabbed’ me over these years that I was wasting my time and energy doing a thankless job. Some asked me to go back to farm, others insulted me, saying that I should go and learn work. Even the woman I married after the death of my first wife was not different. 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, 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 to expand my work. In fact, she and my children accompanied me to the office of OG Capital, where the gift 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 younger, and I don’t blame them because I believe it’s the discrimination and attitude that comes from their friends in school that made them act that way.”
Speaking on the matter, the chairman of OG Capital, Mr. Godwin Adoga, said he took it upon himself to appreciate Mr. Davou who, to him, has displayed heroism and commitment to a better society, as against what political leaders do with the commonwealth of the people.
He said he had to tax his friends and associates to raise funds to procure the vehicle for Davou to enable him expand his work.
He said: “I also carried out a campaign to raise this money. In the course of the campaign, people attested to the fact that they know and have seen the man over the years doing this volunteer road repair.
“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, and we keep hailing them. But people like Mr. Davou, who have genuine commitment for a better society, should be supported.
“When I invited him to the office, 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. We couldn’t interpret the expression on his face when I told him the amount that was raised.
“He became emotional when I took him to the truck and handed over the key and the papers to him. He screamed alongside his wife to the point that neighbours and passers-by were wondering what could have happened. They fell down, praising God and showering me with prayers and words of appreciation.
“The expressions became embarrassing at a point because they were kneeling down to appreciate the kind gesture, thus attracting attention.
“In addition to that, we also gave him 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.
Davou’s daughter, Blessing, said she was happy that her father has been recognized and rewarded after several years of volunteer work.
“Myself and my brother were never proud of what our father was doing as a job years ago because it was like you were working and no one recognised you.
“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 that God designed it. But we are happy that he is being recognised and rewarded by individuals for the great service that he has rendered to communities for decades now.”
Another daughter of his, Judith, who is 15 years old, appreciated Nigerians for the support they gave to her father and prayed that more rewards would come because her father has contributed immensely to the society.
In the FCT, there are several satellite towns around the city centre. These satellite towns are home to a large 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 and Kadokuchi, among others, are located a short disance from the well-designed districts, a few others like Nyanya, Karu, Kurudu, Orozo, Kuje, Kubwa, Lugbe, Dutse, Gwagwalada, Deidei, Karimo and Idu are located some kilometres away from the city centre.
The majority of residents in these communities are practically frustrated because they are far from good amenities that make life easy. Evident in these communities are poor power supply, dilapidated and unequipped schools, poor healthcare services and criminal activities, while poor access roads worsen the matter. It makes it difficult for the people to connect easily to the city centre for their daily activities.
Surprisingly, there is an ever-increasing surge in population of people in these communities because of the “affordable” cost of living therein. The people seem to have found solace there despite the obvious absence or inadequate basic amenities that could improve their comfort and healthy living.
The situation has ofien unleashed frustration on the residents, particularly motorists, who spend a lot of time and money on car repair to keep them on the road. Commercial vehicle operators pass the burden of car maintenance to commuters.
These frustrated residents/motorists have murmured, complained among themselves, and even took to traditional and new media platforms to draw the attention of the FCT Administration and even the Federal Government, but in all these little or no response has come the way of the residents from the FCT Administration or the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Works or Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FEMA) regarding these satellite towns’ roads.
Gradually, roads in these towns are deteriorating and impassable. Little portholes become deeper, cracks appear and the roads fail, thus becoming impassable by motorists as a result of prolonged abandonment by the FCT Administration that ought to take proactive action.
Many of the communities have thus resorted to personal and community service to ameliorate the effects of the bad roads but it’s difficult to sustain it. Many community members fall off along the way, deciding to accept their fate while they await government’s intervention.
