Soludo TV

21/12/2022

Update: He Was So Good, He Played For The Super Eagles Before Flying Eagles...Taiye Taiwo🇳🇬💪🏿🦅

Taiye Ismaila Taiwo, born 16th April, 1985 in Lagos was a Nigeria former international; in his days, he played as Leftback; characterized by speed, shot-power and shot-accuracy.

Having previously been called up to the Nigeria squad throughout the earliest 2004, Taiwo made his Super Eagles debut, starting a match, in a 2–1 loss against South Africa on 17 November 2004.

The next year 2005, Taiwo was called up by the coach of U-20 side for the FIFA World Youth Championship. He was incredible in that tournament, helping Nigeria keep first cleansheet against Brazil U-20 on matchday 1.

The tournament was very fun for Taiwo as he helped Nigeria win a Silver 🏅; and won the Third Best Player behind compatriot, Mikel Obi and Lionel Messi.

The next year in January 2006, Taiwo was called up to the Nigeria squad for the African Cup of Nations in Egypt.

He started the tournament well by scoring the national side's first goal of the tournament, in a 1–0 win against Ghana. He then helped Nigeria win the next two matches to help the national side go through to the knockout stage.

He later helped the national side finish third place in the tournament after beating Senegal 1–0 in the third place play–off.

A year later on 17 June 2007, Taiwo then played an important role for Nigeria when he scored his second national team goal, in a 3–1 win against Niger to qualify for the African Cup of Nations.

He will miss the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing China; where the Olympic Eagles won the Silver 🏅

He was capped more than 50 times for the Super Eagles, scoring at least 8 goals in his days with the Green and White.

In his prime, Taiwo played for Olympique De Marseille, winning the French Ligue 1, Coupe de Le Ligue, Trophees d Champions.

Taiwo's career suffered a huge decline, after he moved to AC Milan in the Italian Serie A from Marseille.

He will later move to England and signed for Queens Park Rangers; after an unsuccessful spell, Taiwo disappeared from the scene.

He had a short spell in Turkey ... The last which was heard of Taiwo was that he's playing for Salpa FC in the Finnish Kakkonen division.

Since his retirement, the Super Eagles may have never found his replacement in the Leftback position.

08/12/2022

22/11/2022

HIGHWAY TO DEATH
Yesterday 19th Nov 2022 on my way back from a wedding ceremony late afternoon I stumbled upon a horrific accident scene at the Ugwu Onyeama Enugu Expressway. A tanker had just collided with a coaster bus carrying passengers who were on their way back from an event.

Mangled bodies covered in blood were strewn everywhere, people had clustered around the scene and the sight was traumatic. I had to make a split-second decision about whether to move on or to stop. I noticed one of the victims was moving, and requested my drivers to stop.

I alighted from my vehicle with my aides, including those in my backup vehicles and approached the scene. To my shock and dismay, most of the people standing around there, who just parked their cars by the side of the expressway were simply busy with their cellphones taking pictures and making videos of the gruesome incident.

We had to fight many of them away from the scene, especially some heartless souls with their phones held up at point-blank range against the faces of victims, recording their agony and their dying groans.

I noticed more of the victims were breathing and we tried to get motorists who were slowing down purely to watch the horror, to help us to transport the victims to the nearest hospital to no avail. They would slow down, peek and pass.

I made my way to the victim that first caught my eye, a lady who appeared unconscious but was moving her hand. When I approached her, and she heard my voice, all she could mutter was, ‘Biko, jide m aka’ (please hold my hand). I assured her she would be ok, the lady lying beside her, also dressed in the same uniform was groaning in intense pain.

No emergency medical response services were in sight, Not even Road Safety officials, I noticed a young man who introduced himself as Stanley Egbuonye from Obosi with his two relatives, and another lady, Mrs Ambrose Egbosimba, who were equally scouting for good samaritans to transport survivors to the nearest hospital. Nobody else seemed willing to help. Some were even trying to avoid my eye and my pleas as they snaked their way past the gory scene.

Together with Stanley and his two co-travellers, we lifted several of the victims into our vehicles and headed for the hospital. The road was blocked with traffic but we eventually got there.
The hospital staff swung into action and battled to save those that were still breathing. Most of them did not survive.

It was tough to keep answering calls on their handsets…worried relatives wondering why they had not yet returned, and having to inform them of the accident, and start heading out to the hospital but unable to tell them their loved ones had passed on.

We left the hospital late in the evening as some of the bodies were being conveyed to the hospital mortuary. Only God knows the fate of the already dead victims at the accident scene as we were trying desperately to save those that were still breathing.

I am yet to recover from the trauma of this incident, the thin thread between life and death and the callousness of everyday people to the plight of other human beings in distress.

The raw reality of the third world hits whenever situations like these arise. The highest point of civilization is consideration, empathy and compassion for others. Any country where functional emergency services or basic ambulance services are considered a luxury or even unattainable in this 21st century remains ‘underdeveloped’, not ‘developing’. It is as simple as that.

This could have happened to anyone. These were gaily dressed guests, many joyfully resplendent in their uniforms, probably happily chatting together in their hired bus returning from a function, but never made it home.

I keep replaying the voice of the victim who, all she requested of me (a total stranger who she could not even open her eyes to see at that moment), believing she was about to make her transition from life to death, was I hold her hand.

The loneliness and fear that grips every living soul at that critical moment of departure from this world hit me hard. I consider it a sacred privilege to have been there for her. She did not make it. Only God knows why I was on that highway at that material time when I could have chosen other routes.

Until we get our Accident and Emergency response facilities right in this country, we are all watching a ticking time bomb. Yesterday it was them, today and tomorrow…who knows who might be the next victims?
So far we all live in this country and do not mandate our governments to make this a priority, it will be turn by turn…
I wish the injured a speedy recovery. May God come to their aid.

May the souls of All who lost their lives yesterday in the tragic accident at Enugu Expressway Rest in Perfect Peace. Amen.

Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu

02/11/2022