The death of Joe Blankson during the ill-fated Bakana boat mishap is perhaps, one of the worst things to happen to Rivers State in recent times, just as the politicization of his death as seen on social media is equally bad.
Joe, according to sources, saved at least 13 persons from drowning during the boat mishap in Bakana and according to sources, was about to save the 14th person when he eventually drowned and died with no one brave enough to save him.
Although this account puts a question mark to the claims by the Rivers State Police Command that only one person died in the mishap, it also raises questions as to why government downplays the issue of deaths instead of acting to curtail such occurrences.
Top politicians have also seized the opportunity as they have been seen visiting the deceased’s family with photo ops by their aides to show their principal’s human nature. Their social media followers have equally used the opportunity to pillory others with dissenting opinions.
Also Read: Degema Boat Mishap: how many persons died?
However, such influential persons should do a lot more than they are doing by ensuring that the hero dies for nothing.
We dance on the graves of heroes every day so as to score political points. We should desist from that.
Mamoudou Gassama, the 22-year-old Malian boy who rose to international fame for climbing blocks of flats in the French capital of Paris to save a 4-year-old, did not have politicians visit his home to take photos while leaving the boy afterwards. He was simply invited to the presidential palace where he was conferred with citizenship by the president of France, Emmanuel Macron.
While the statement released by the Rivers State government in honour of Joe Blankson is a good thing, the government should reciprocate such heroic favour by honouring Blankson in an unusual way.
Theportcitynews believes that the government should ensure that the problems associated with water transportation in the state where boats capsize with reckless abandon, is checked and reduced to the barest minimum.
Theportcitynews is of the view that government should equally ensure that adequate safety measures are strictly adhered to while boat drivers are constantly checked to ensure that they work within the confinement of such measures.
A bridge linking Degema with Port Harcourt should be put into the subsequent budget and constructed to ensure that the people of Degema Local Government Area do not have anything to fear. Such a bridge should be named after Blankson as a way of encouraging heroic acts from the public. The people should know that Blankson died for something.
Blankson wouldn’t have been beaten by anyone if he had rescued himself and watched others drown. He has challenged our entire humanity and we should not hold back by letting him down in death. He died for all of us, he died showing us that we can do more for the world and we need to tattoo him in our hearts till eternity.
