A Catholic missionary priest working in Gambia, Fr Kelvin Ugwu, has advised Nigerians to prioritise their safety as Sunday, September 1, ushered in what the people popularly call the ’ember month’.
Ugwu said vehicle owners should make every effort to do the necessary maintenance on their vehicles before praying against accidents and blood-sucking demons.
The statement is coming at a time when many Nigerians still hold beliefs
suggesting heightened risks, including road accidents, during the ’ember months’ including, September, October, November, and December than in other months.
They attribute the phenomenon to superstitious practices often referred to as ‘juju’ operations.
Although the Federal Road Safety Corps had severally in the past dispelled the widespread notions linking the ember months with superstitious, many still hold tightly to the belief.
In a post on his Facebook page on Sunday, Fr Ugwu listed five things people should do to avoid exposing themselves to danger.
He said: “While you pray against accidents and blood-sucking demons these “Ember” months, please do us the favour of keeping the following five points in mind.
“Oil: Make every effort to do the necessary maintenance on your vehicle. Change the oil, check your breaks, change your shock absorber if necessary, and check your car coolant.
“Tyre: Do not compromise on your car tyres; you are putting yourself in danger. The tyres of the car are what support the vehicle’s load, transmit traction and braking forces to the road surface, absorb road shocks, and change and maintain the direction of travel. . . If they are bald, they are bad.
“Alcohol: If you must drink, don’t drive; if you must drive, don’t drink. Alcohol consumption remains a major cause of road accidents.
“Seatbelt: Use your seatbelt always. If you think the distance is too short for you to use a seatbelt, then it means the distance is too short for you to drive. Trek instead.
“Speeding: The road is not an athletic ground where you compete with other drivers on who can run the fastest. There is no medal for the driver who overtook every vehicle on the way. Kill some of those childish instincts making you think the mark of a driver is to speed. Speed kills.”
