In the wake of Yusuf Buhari’s motorcycling
accident, there has been a trail of condemnation of Superbike riders,
and the practice of riding superbikes, with an article published on the
website of Businessday Online on 31st December 2017
While it is unfortunate that it had to take the president of
Nigeria’s son to be involved in an accident before a national spotlight
is shed on the world of Nigeria’s super biking community, there is a
positive side to this world of motorcycling and this should be taken
into consideration before passing judgment.
Just as there are reckless riders, we also have reckless motorists, but
more often than not, motorbike accidents are met with less sympathy than
car accidents, with a larger percentage of the blame being heaped on
the rider, even before a proper analysis or a valid eyewitness account
is provided.
In January 2011, news of Tonye Claude-Wilcox’s death was broadcast
all over the Internet. He had been riding his superbike from Lagos
enroute to Calabar, when he met with an accident. Most blogs/sites
described what happened as a collision between his bike and a vehicle,
but one thing was missing - the fact that the vehicle that collided with
the late Tonye’s bike was on the wrong side of the road, and coming in
the opposite direction, or as we say, driving “one-way”.
Ogbonnaya Kanu, a chemical engineer, and renowned adventure
motorcyclist was present when the accident happened. “When I saw Tonye
thrown up in the air after the impact, I knew he wasn’t going to survive
it. I carried my friend in my arms, and watched as his life slipped
away, and there was nothing I could do about it. It’s an image that
stays with me to this day.”
In the case of late Fred Omame, Kanu was also present at the Lagos
Island General Hospital where Fred was brought in by the Lagos Ambulance
Service, following the accident which had occurred on the Third
Mainland Bridge. “Fred was still conscious when he was brought to the
hospital, conscious enough to tell us that a woman in a red car, who had
tried to overtake a bus in the middle lane, rammed into his rear and
drove off. Fred was on the ‘slow’ lane, while she had crossed from the
fast lane. Unfortunately, there was another vehicle parked along the
‘shoulder’ of the bridge, and Fred, who was already on the ground with
his bike, slid into the stationary vehicle,” says Kanu.
Fred passed on over a year later of his injuries and as is the norm,
news of his death was met with the usual disdain for Superbike riders,
along with the general perception that superbike riders are rich,
irresponsible and reckless, except that in this case it was a “Hit and
Run”.
Kanu and a friend realized that they needed to do something to keep
their fellow riders safe and to help them be better road users. They set
up the Ride Easy Superbike Training School, located in Ikeja.
Kanu is currently the highest certified riding instructor in Nigeria,
having completed Probike UK’s Motorcycle Instructor Training - Levels 1
and 2 - at the California Superbike School, UK; Levels 1 and 2 GS BMW
Off-Road Skills, and Lee Parks Total Control Level 1.
The Ride Easy Motorcycling Club, one of the foremost motorcycling
clubs in Nigeria, and of which Kanu is a member, even brought in an
international riding instructor from Canada to give Advanced Rider
Tactics training to its club members.
There are other motorcycling training schools spread across the
country, which are not funded by the government, yet, doing their best
to impart safe motorcycling practices to their students.
In recent years, the biking community in Nigeria has grown to
encompass a large group of men and women in various professions, who are
united by the passion they share for motorcycling, whilst adhering to a
uniform code that promotes safety, honor and integrity.
Investment banker, Kwesi Amanor-Boadu lends credence to that code.
“Motorbikes are machines like every other form of transportation. The
person operating the machine is responsible for all eventualities. My
safety and the safety of other road users is important all the time.
This is the ethos of the well trained and oriented Rider. One crazy car
driver does not make all drivers bad same with motorbikes,” he says.
Perhaps the pending actions would be to set up proper licensing
procedures, much like what obtains for motorists, where superbike riders
are required to undergo rider training from accredited riding schools
and be properly evaluated before being licensed to ride, along with
their own set of rules or regulations, such as wearing the right gear.
There is also a need to shed more light on the efforts at positive
impact that the biking community makes towards the society, so that
others may be encouraged to ride in the same vein.
Take for example Ryker’s Ride, a biker fundraising and awareness ride
started by super biker and engineer, Paul Lawson. Ryker’s Ride unites
the African Biker Nation to support and highlight the work of children’s
charities, such as the SOS villages, and also highlight the plight and
educational needs of the less privileged child in West Africa.
In an interview with Pride Nigeria magazine, Lawson explains how the
ride benefits the children. “The awareness the ride brings to the work
the homes and villages do for the orphaned, and destitute children,
helps them raise funds and sponsors to help more children. A lot of
people did not know they could make a difference or that such homes
existed, and several others have been challenged because we came so many
miles to help children in their towns. We have reports from some of the
homes we visited that bikers and other people have been coming to
support them and donate stuff since we visited.”
There is also the Fotodadi Foundation, co-founded by Ogbonnaya Kanu
and Segun Obagun in 2015, and which was set up in memory of Tonye
Claude-Wilcox and Wemba Otike-Odibi - both riders. The foundation awards
scholarships to disadvantaged fatherless and orphaned children from
primary through to the first-degree level. Bikers also constitute a
majority of the donor base. The uniqueness of the FD Foundation lies in
the fact that as long as beneficiaries are able to meet the criteria set
by the foundation, their fees will continue to be paid till they
graduate from university.
The Biker’s Trophy (BT) marked its fifth year of existence in 2017.
The BT is Nigeria’s premier motorsport event, which takes place annually
in Edo state. In previous years, the race took place on a closed public
road through the supporting villages of Urhonigbe, Uromehe, Evbonogbon,
Obazagbon, Umughun, Ogba, Ugo, Egbokor and Ugbokirima in Orhiomwon
Local Government Area of Edo State. The 2017 edition saw the race taking
place on the first purpose-built racetrack at Evbuobanosa, Near Abudu,
Edo State.
Tough Tourers is a recently launched platform that provides riders
with a well-structured opportunity to engage in long-distance
motorcycling and honors them for their motorcycling achievements. It
also promotes tourism, as the tours involve riding to a variety of
locations in Nigeria.
In other parts of the country, different motorcycling clubs engage in
various acts of charity, caring for their communities, as they try to
make a difference.
The development of motorcycling in Nigeria has also brought
employment and business opportunities, such as the establishment of
motorbike workshops and rider training schools, sales of motorcycle
spare parts and gears.
Time and again, it has been proved that people fear what they do not
understand, and with superbike riding being a relatively new development
to most Nigerians, topmost on most people’s minds are the inherent
risks involved in engaging in the sport.
With time, we hope that this will change and that people will
understand that riders have chosen - in the words of a leading
motorcycle manufacturers slogan - to MAKE LIFE A RIDE.
Our thoughts and prayers go towards the speedy recovery of Yusuf Buhari.
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