By Hardball
A woman in throes of labour pains driving herself to hospital penultimate weekend came across as a ‘poster girl’ of courage amidst extreme pangs of desperation. Her grit in apparent defiance of crushing pain arising from imminent childbirth was exemplary – a signpost of an indomitable spirit that triumphs over tough challenges. It is such mindset we need in this country to overcome the many debilitating challenges of our nationhood.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) early last week reported the rescue of the woman in Lagos as she struggled with driving in high noon amidst labour pangs. A statement by Corps Public Education Officer Bisi Kazeem said the woman, who was not named but whose pictures on the highway and later at the hospital were provided, was sighted at about 2:34p.m. by a patrol team from RS 2.110 Airport Unit Command of the Corps that rushed her to a nearby hospital in Ajao Estate where she was delivered of a baby girl barely three hours later.
From the pictures shared, it was evident the woman and her baby were doing well after that experience; so also her young boy of between three and six years who was with her on the risky ride to the hospital before the FRSC operatives’ intervention. By the way, this woman and her family surely must have their reasons for why she preffered driving herself amidst labour pangs rather than get a taxi, if there was no family member on hand to drive her. But while her courage is highly commendable, it is important to say such risks are to the extent possible better avoided.
With the happy ending, the FRSC literally gushed over the role its operatives played in the saga. Corps Marshal Boboye Oyeyemi applauded the intervention and compassion shown by the patrol team in rescuing the distressed lady, saying their action correctly represented the true mission of the agency. He added that what these particular operatives did was only one of many such interventions the corps undertakes from time to time when its agents go on patrol.
From the celebratory ring of FRSC’s statement, you would almost think the agency was the personality who dared excruciating labour pain and got delivered of bouncing baby. And why not anyway? The corps in this instance illustrated the concept of fraternal engagement with the public that should characterise all law enforcement agencies – especially those involved in civil security, not the adversarial disposition that is commonplace and have become more familiar.
All law enforcers should learn from this incident that they are primarily there to protect, not fight the public. The Police in particular should take note, after all they sloganeer that they are our friends.
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