Adedamola Joshua, an uncle of former world boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, shared his thoughts with BANKOLE TAIWO on the accident that claimed the lives of two of the boxer’s friends, the trauma the family is facing after getting the news of the incident, among other issues

How did you get to know about the accident involving the former world boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, and two of his friends?

Well, some of us are not really used to social media, so we didn’t get to hear of it on time. But around 1 pm, one of my church members, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, called to inform me of the accident and it was like I had never in my life heard that people were involved in an accident. How can Anthony Joshua be involved in an accident? It sounded so impossible, but it actually happened; it is unfortunate.

How is the family coping with this incident?

It has really left us in shock because this is not the first, the second, or the third time he has been coming home, so what happened? Why now? He just arrived in the country six hours ago on that day, and was eager to see his family in Sagamu, only for things to go the way they went.

He could have decided to say that he wanted to spend some time with the Governor of Lagos State (Babajide Sanwo-Olu) or other influential Nigerians, but he said that he wanted to be with his family in Sagamu. It is really painful that such an incident happened.

What was he actually coming home to do?

He has always come home around Yuletide to enjoy the festive period with the family. It’s something he has been doing for some time; it’s nothing unusual.

But we heard that there is an annual gathering that the Joshua family usually holds here. How true is that?

The annual gathering for all the Joshua family has been stopped because our elder brother, who used to coordinate it, died, and there was no one to pick up the coordination again. So, the gathering died naturally.

However, when Joshua comes around, he stays with the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, the Akarigbo, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, and others.

Have Anthony Joshua’s parents always been in Nigeria, or did they fly in because of the accident?

They are mostly in Nigeria, especially the father of the boxer; they have businesses they are managing in the country, although the mother is always with her son in the UK, but she also comes home. So, they are not far from home at all.

What would you say about the emergency service after the accident involving the boxer?

I want to condemn the lackadaisical attitude of our government towards anything emergency. To see Joshua crossing the median after the accident when he was supposed to be on a stretcher was distressing.

When you are in such trauma, the stress must be minimised; he was supposed to have been put in an ambulance and from there be treated. If it had been abroad, a helicopter would have arrived at the scene within five minutes for the evacuation of the victims of the accident.

It is an eyesore for the people alive to see such a gory scene of the accident that is now being circulated on social media. The government should deploy more ambulances on that stretch of the road, because accidents are always happening on that road. It is not enough to have the officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps checking vehicle documents; let there be ambulances too, stationed along this road.

Some people at the scene of the accident have also been criticised for making videos instead of helping to evacuate victims. What’s your take on this?

Some Nigerians act badly at accident scenes. When they are supposed to help, you will see them bringing out their phones to make videos and even steal from the victims. That is not right.

We even heard that Anthony Joshua’s phone was stolen during the accident; such attitudes must be discouraged. The police and other emergency responders should get to the scene of an accident on time and cordon off the place.

There is also the need to step up enlightenment across our motor parks and even for all Nigerians that we owe it a national duty to immediately call emergency toll lines to inform the appropriate agencies whenever we come across emergency situations like accidents, fire disasters, among others.

Unfortunately, many Nigerians don’t even know the numbers to call during emergencies, whereas anybody can find himself or herself in an emergency at any time.

How do you assess the roles of the government in this particular incident?

The government has sincerely done its best. Governors Dapo Abiodun and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Ogun and Lagos states, respectively, have ensured that the boxer received the very best medical service.

President Bola Tinubu is equally in touch with our son; he has spoken to him and the parents and assured them of the government’s support at all times. We really show our gratitude to the government for this massive support.

I even want to suggest that for some of our icons, like Anthony Joshua, the government can provide detailed escorts and professional drivers to drive these people whenever they are in town.

Do you know the driver?

I don’t know him, but for a driver to have been said to be on top speed and overtake at the same time, then it leaves much to be desired of such a driver.

Has there always been someone who drives the boxer whenever he is at home, or was this particular driver just engaged?

I really don’t know, because it is not as if everyone will know whenever he is coming home until he arrives in Nigeria. I don’t have information regarding who drives him.

However, I strongly pray that the government will guard against any future occurrence of this tragedy by providing expert drivers who can help people of Joshua’s calibre navigate their way whenever they are in Nigeria.

It is also important that we educate these top celebrities that whenever they are coming around, they should get reasonable people around them, especially those who will be behind the wheel. They must prioritise their safety and seek help where necessary.

How has this tragic incident impacted the mood of the family this festive period?

It has really cast a shadow on our celebration. How can you celebrate when your son is in the hospital and two of his friends who were in the country to spend the vacation with him are being taken back in body bags? It is an incident that has shaken the Joshua family.

This is a family that is not strange to travelling all around the world; we have many Joshuas in the US, Canada, the UK, etc. My own two children are living in Italy; we have never witnessed this kind of tragedy; it is really overwhelming. It is a big shock. Since our father, Chief Adebambo Joshua (Anthony Joshua’s great-grandfather), died in 1964, we have never been so unhappy.

How do you feel now that Anthony Joshua has been discharged from the hospital?

We heaved a sigh of relief when we heard that he had been discharged from the hospital; we thank God, but we thought about how good it would have been if his two friends had survived the crash too.

Our joy would have been unspeakable. That loss is really a trauma for us as a family.

Do you think that this accident can negatively impact Joshua’s career as a boxer?

It is not impossible; some are even speculating that he is considering retirement from the sport. All of these are in the realm of speculation, but our prayer is that he would continue to grow stronger and come out of this trying time much stronger than ever before.

Will this incident not discourage the boxer from coming home again?

It might definitely discourage him because for two people who were reported to have been his personal friends and trainers to have died right on the spot, six hours after they arrived in the country, is something terrible.

We sincerely pray to the Almighty God to give him the courage to pull through this trying time.

Let me also use this medium, on behalf of the Joshuas at home and in the diaspora, to register our condolences with the families and associates of the friends of our beloved son, whose lives came to an abrupt end during the accident.

We pray that the souls of the departed will rest in peace and that the Almighty God will also grant each of us touched by this tragic incident the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. (Saturday PUNCH)

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